Saturday, May 14 2005 19:53 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Canada: After the bombing of its passenger airliner Kanishka two decades ago, Air India will start its service from Toronto to India from tomorrow (May 15, 2005), fulfilling a long-standing demand of Indians living in Canada.

Air India's first service from Toronto to New Delhi via Birmingham and Amritsar will take off tomorrow, fulfilling a long-pending demand of Indians living in Canada, a spokesperson for the airlines said.

The flight will operate three days a week. Special security measures have been taken to protect the aircraft and passengers and to prevent incidents like the 1985 bombing, said the spokesperson.

Kanishka, a Boeing 747 flight from Toronto to Mumbai, was blown off the Irish coast in the Atlantic Ocean on June 23, 1985, killing 329 passengers, mostly Canadians.

The new Boeing 777 Air India aircraft will land at the Toronto's Pearson International Airport on May 15 evening with special guests Trilochan Singh, chairman, Minorities Commission and parliamentarians M S Gill, Rita Sodhi and Balwant Singh Ramuwalia.