British long-haul carrier Virgin Atlantic has announced its return to the Canadian aviation market after an absence of more than a decade, unveiling new daily direct service between London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ). Marking the airline's first Canadian route since suspending seasonal Vancouver flights in 2014—and its first return to Toronto since 2001—the expansion reinforces Virgin Atlantic's North American heartland strategy alongside transatlantic joint-venture partners Delta Air Lines and Air France-KLM.
Operated by a mix of next-generation Airbus A330-900neo and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, the daily flights will feature Virgin Atlantic's signature Upper Class suites, Premium cabins, and three-tier Economy service, as well as the airline's onboard 'Loft' social space on A330neo rotations. Both aircraft types also provide up to 20 tonnes of bellyhold cargo capacity per flight for high-value pharmaceutical, e-commerce, and technology shipments between the UK and Ontario.
Expanded WestJet Partnership and Domestic Canadian Reach
To feed the new Toronto Pearson gateway, Virgin Atlantic simultaneously confirmed an expanded codeshare and loyalty partnership with Canadian airline WestJet. Under the agreement, passengers traveling from across Canada—including Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Halifax—will be able to book single-ticket itineraries connecting onto Virgin Atlantic's London Heathrow service at Toronto Pearson Terminal 3.
Members of Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club and WestJet Rewards will also gain reciprocal points-earning and redemption privileges across both networks, complementing existing SkyTeam alliance benefits for elite frequent flyers.
“Canada is an incredibly important market for business and leisure travelers alike, and returning to Toronto Pearson strengthens our transatlantic network and onward connectivity to India.”
Seamless One-Stop Hub Connectivity to India
A central pillar of the Toronto launch is capturing strong diaspora and corporate travel demand between Canada and the Indian subcontinent. Flight timings into and out of London Heathrow Terminal 3 have been specifically scheduled to offer short, sub-three-hour connections onto Virgin Atlantic's expanding Indian network—which now includes double-daily flights to Delhi and Mumbai alongside a recently launched daily service to the tech capital of Bengaluru.
Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) executives welcomed the announcement, noting that London remains Toronto Pearson's largest international market outside North America, while demand for one-stop capacity between Ontario and India has reached all-time highs.
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