TORONTO — Emirates is gearing up to resume its Toronto service, with flights on the carrier’s A380 aircraft set to start on Aug. 16.

Flights on the Toronto-Dubai route will operate five times weekly. Flight EK 241 will depart Dubai at 9:10 a.m. and arrive in Toronto at 3:05 p.m. local time. The return flight, EK 242, will depart Toronto at 9:45 p.m. and arrive in Dubai at 6:30 p.m. local time, the following day.

Don McWilliam, Emirates Country Manager Canada, said: “We’re excited to announce the re-introduction of Emirates’ highly sought after A380 services to Toronto to better serve travellers in Canada, improving connectivity to the Dubai and the wider Emirates network.”

The airline has so far resumed A380 operations to Amsterdam, Cairo, Paris, London Heathrow and Guangzhou, with A380 flights offering spacious and comfortable cabins, he adds.

The move is part of Emirates’ gradual ramp up of passenger service to 70 cities, returning to over 50% of the airline’s pre-pandemic destination network.

“The safety of our customers, crew members and local communities continues to be our top priority. We are committed to working collaboratively with air travel authorities and are grateful for their continued support during this period,” said McWilliam.

COVID-19 PCR tests are mandatory for all inbound and transit passengers arriving to Dubai (and the UAE), including UAE citizens, residents and tourists, irrespective of the country they are coming from. For more information on entry requirements for international visitors to Dubai see emirates.com/flytoDubai.

Onboard health and safety measures include the distribution of complimentary hygiene kits containing masks, gloves, hand sanitizers and antibacterial wipes to all passengers.

Last month Emirates became the first airline in the world to commit to cover COVID-19 related medical expenses, free of charge, should passengers be diagnosed with COVID-19 during their travel while they are away from home.

The coverage is immediately effective for customers flying on Emirates until Oct. 31 (first flight to be completed on or before Oct. 31), and is valid for 31 days from the moment passengers fly the first sector of their journey. More details are at emirates.com/COVID19assistance.