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Halifax airport expands European reach with new direct flight to Brussels
🇨🇦 Canada /Energy & Infrastructure

Halifax airport expands European reach with new direct flight to Brussels

From Global News · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified New plan
  • Halifax Stanfield International Airport is launching a new direct flight service to Brussels, Belgium, operated by Air Canada.
  • The route, which begins Thursday and runs until Sept. 5, aims to expand European reach and boost tourism and trade.
  • This new service adds to a growing list of European destinations available from Halifax, reflecting increased connectivity for Atlantic Canada.

Halifax Stanfield International Airport is expanding its European network with the introduction of a new direct flight to Brussels, Belgium. Air Canada will operate the route, with the inaugural flight departing Halifax on Thursday evening and the return flight arriving Friday. This service will be available until September 5.

The distance between Halifax, Canada and Brussels, Belgium may be thousands of kilometres but as of today it feels a little bit shorter.

— Filip VandenbroekeDeputy head of mission at the Embassy of Belgium in Canada on the significance of the new direct flight.

Filip Vandenbroeke, deputy head of mission at the Embassy of Belgium in Canada, described the new route as "a new bridge across the Atlantic," emphasizing its role in shortening the distance between the two regions. Air Canada's vice-president of airport affairs, Valerie Durand, highlighted the significant new opportunities for trade, travel to Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. She noted that approximately 40 percent of passengers on the inaugural flight were connecting onwards beyond Brussels, underscoring the route's utility for broader travel.

This new gateway opens up significant new opportunities for travellers in trade, reaching Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

— Valerie DurandVice-president of airport affairs, corporate real estate and sustainability with Air Canada on the route's benefits.

The addition of Brussels follows a recent expansion of international services from Halifax. WestJet has introduced new routes to Lisbon, Copenhagen, and Madrid, while other European summer flights include destinations like Amsterdam, Barcelona, Dublin, and Paris. Halifax International Airport Authority spokesperson Mikela Sani-Routledge anticipates the busiest summer on record, with 55 non-stop destinations, 15 of which are to Europe.

Actually, today, I just got the numbers. On tonight’s flight, about 40 per cent of our customers are connecting onwards beyond Brussels tonight. We are very proud to continue to connect Halifax to the world.

— Valerie DurandAir Canada representative on the connectivity provided by the new route.

Nova Scotia's Minister of Growth and Development, Colton Leblanc, praised the new route, calling it a "critical link" that will strengthen connections, support trade and tourism, and foster new collaborations. The expansion of air services from Halifax is seen as a reflection of the growing economic activity in Atlantic Canada.

We are expecting our busiest summer on record with 55 non-stop destinations, 15 of which include destinations to Europe.

— Mikela Sani-RoutledgeSpokesperson for Halifax International Airport Authority on the airport's upcoming summer schedule.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Global News. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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