Air Canada launching non-stop Ottawa-London Heathrow service in March 2025

Air Canada resuming Ottawa-London service Ottawa travellers will once again be able to fly non-stop to London's Heathrow Airport starting next spring. CTV's Austin Lee reports.

Ottawa travellers will be able to fly non-stop to London's Heathrow Airport next spring, the second overseas destination you can fly to directly from Canada's capital.

Air Canada has announced it will launch non-stop international flights from Ottawa to London's Heathrow on March 31, 2025.

Flights will be operated four times weekly with Air Canada's Dreamliner fleet.

According to the schedule, flights will depart Ottawa for London on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. The flights from London to Ottawa will also depart Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.

"With continued demand for visiting friends, relatives, leisure and tourism, as well as supporting business and corporate travel, this route gives customers from both the National Capital Region and abroad direct, convenient international travel options to and from Ottawa," Mark Galardo, executive vice president – revenue and network planning at Air Canada, said in a statement.

Air Canada operated a non-stop flight from Ottawa to London Heathrow before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has been meeting with airline executives to expand overseas flights out of Ottawa.

"Ottawa residents and business owners have been hoping and calling for a return of direct non-stop service to London," Sutcliffe said in a statement released by Air Canada. "The restored flight will boost our local economy, increase tourism, and connect two world capitals. It will make it easier for residents to travel abroad, tourists to visit Ottawa, and businesses to launch and expand in our city."

In a post on social media, Sutcliffe called Air Canada's announcement a "big win" for Ottawa.

"More direct flights to Ottawa! After a public appeal and some hard work from our airport and tourism leaders, Air Canada has announced direct flights between Ottawa and London."

Air France launched non-stop service between Ottawa and Paris in 2023. This summer, the airline expanded its service to seven days a week and upgraded to bigger planes on the Ottawa-Paris route.

Air Canada notes the Ottawa-London Heathrow flight follows an announcement to "significantly expand" its services out of Ottawa, with up to 229 weekly flights to and from the capital next year. Air Canada is expanding service to Calgary, Vancouver, Winnipeg and Halifax, along with Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Tampa, Chicago, Newark and Washington.