THE very first transatlantic low-cost air service between Northern Ireland and Canada will begin this
summer.
The Belfast service will start operating on June 21 2005 with flights to Toronto weekly on Wednesdays,
with on-line prices starting from £89 one way including taxes.
Zoom will be the only airline offering scheduled flights to Canada from Belfast International Airport
this summer providing low-cost transatlantic flights for the whole of Northern Ireland.
Zoom initially operated services from four cities in Canada - Ottawa, Halifax, Vancouver and Calgary, and
the airline decided to go transatlantic earlier in 2003 when it leased a Boeing 767 ER300 with weekly
charter flights from London Gatwick, Manchester and Glasgow on behalf of a number of holiday and flight
operators.
With the acquisition of two more 268 seater Boeing 767 ER300s, Zoom Airlines introduced services from Gatwick
and Glasgow International Airport to six Canadian cities.
The outstanding success of Zoom Airlines in its first year of operating has resulted in the introduction of
three additional UK hubs offering flights to Canada including, Belfast, Manchester and Cardiff.
Debbie Marshall, UK Director of Zoom Airlines, said: "Belfast is the fifth UK hub out of which we are
offering low-cost flights to Canada and I am delighted to be announcing the new Belfast to Toronto service
starting this summer.
"Our prices are the lowest scheduled fares across the Atlantic offering high quality full serviced flights.
"The introduction of Belfast as a service offering has further strengthened our presence in the transatlantic
low-cost flight market now offering affordable travel for the whole of the UK."
Passengers can book premium seats can for an additional £49 each way, offering additional legroom,
superior in-flight meals and complimentary drinks for the duration of your flight.
Albert Harrison, Managing Director of Belfast International Airport, said: "We are delighted to
welcome Zoom as a new airline customer to Belfast. The professional, relaxed flying experience which they
will offer to the many travellers between Northern Ireland and Canada during the summer season will
complement our existing range of Canadian charter services perfectly.
"This is a further major boost to long haul air access into NI from a market offering vast tourism potential,
and significantly improves the travel experience for passengers flying in both directions, many of whom
have previously been forced to trek to Dublin in order to complete their journey."