NEWS of Cathay Pacific Airways' direct flight to Toronto from June 9 will come as a blow to the likes of Korean Air and Canadian Airlines which have had a stronghold on the lucrative route.
Cathay will stop in Anchorage to refuel. The other two airlines fly via Seoul and Vancouver, respectively.
Cathay's direct Boeing 747-400 flights will depart Hong Kong three times a week, at 2 pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, arriving in Toronto at 6.30 pm local time the same day.
The return flights will depart Toronto on the same three days, arriving in Hong Kong at 6.30 am on Thursdays, Saturdays and Tuesdays.
Robert Atkinson, Cathay's general manager (routes), said: ''Toronto is a major business centre and has a large community of people with family ties to Hong Kong.
''Services up to now have required passengers to change aircraft at least once at an Asian or North American point, and we anticipate good demand both on the passenger side and for cargo.'' Toronto will be Cathay's second Canadian destination. Hong Kong's flag carrier has been flying to Vancouver since 1983.
