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Given its size and location, Canada is an important long-haul market for carriers from both Europe/the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region. Despite this, flights to the country with the Airbus A380 are relatively rare, with just two airlines currently deploying the superjumbo on their Canadian routes. As it happens, the two airlines in question are the two flag carriers of the UAE: Emirates and Etihad.
With that being said, Canada has historically been more of an important long-haul destination for operators of the Airbus A380. Data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, shows that a futher three airlines have deployed their superjumbos to Canadian destinations over the years, serving three different routes in the process. However, the last of these ceased to be served by the Airbus A380 in 2022.
Emirates From Dubai
With 
Emirates being by far the largest operator of the Airbus A380 in the world, there are few long-haul markets that its superjumbos do not serve. As such, it is unsurprising to see that it is one of the two carriers flying its superjumbos to Canada today, with the type used daily between Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Toronto Pearson International Airport. Emirates first flew the A380 to Toronto in 2009.
Its only other Canadian destination is Montreal Trudeau International Airport (YUL) in the province of Quebec, but these daily flights are instead operated by the Airbus A350-900. While Emirates currently flies the A380 to Toronto on a daily basis, this was not always the case: daily superjumbo services on this route only began in April of 2023. Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer, said at the time:
“This enhanced agreement represents a turning point for us in our strategy to serve our customers better by offering more choice and flexibility, and meeting pent-up demand across our growing network.”
Etihad From Abu Dhabi
Emirates’ fellow UAE flag carrier 
Etihad Airways is the only other operator of the Airbus A380 that is currently deploying the type on scheduled flights to and from Canada. Its sole Canadian superjumbo service originates at Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH), and, once again, Toronto Pearson is the route’s destination. These flights also operate on a daily basis, taking almost 15 hours flying west.
The return leg back to Abu Dhabi is somewhat quicker, clocking in at around 13.5 hours. The Airbus A380 is a relatively new addition on Etihad Airways’ route from Abu Dhabi to Toronto, having only first been deployed on this route last year. Its 11:45 AM arrival into the UAE makes the flight ideal for passengers aiming for afternoon connecting services, as well as those visiting Abu Dhabi in its own right.
Later this month, Etihad Airways is set to add a second Canadian city to its network, when it commences flights from Abu Dhabi to Calgary International Airport (YYC) in the province of Alberta. Operated by the Boeing 787-9, these services will run four times a week, with the first one set to take off on October 25. According to Etihad Airways, their days of operation will be Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays.
Canada’s Former A380 Routes
Over the years, another three airlines have flown their Airbus A380s on routes to and from Canada. As seen above, 
British Airways was one, and it used the superjumbo to provide extra capacity from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Vancouver International Airport (YVR). It initially did so from 2016 to 2019, and, after a pandemic-induced operational hiatus, it briefly resumed these flights in 2022.
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Vancouver was also the destination of choice for a relatively short-lived superjumbo service operated by China Southern Airlines. These flights ran in 2020 and 2021, with just 61 rotations scheduled in total. Elsewhere, Air France flew its A380s from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) to Montreal 391 times between 2010 and 2012. Nowadays, it serves this route with Airbus A350s, Boeing 777s, and 787s.
