It was a cold and cloudy day at Toronto Pearson International Airport but spirits were high and the mood was celebratory in Terminal 1 as Ethiopian Airlines celebrated the arrival of its new Airbus A350 to the city and country. The November 10 launch event was marked by a media tour of the interior followed by a cake-cutting, champagne, speeches, and interviews. Here’s a detailed recap of the day.

The special day began with some traditional Ethiopian dancers showing off their moves at the Ethiopian Airlines check-in desks in Terminal 1. Shortly after this, the media was whisked away airside to cover the main event.

Arega continued by saying that Toronto is the airline’s first North American route to open with this A350, adding that it was a result of the airline’s decision to diversify its fleet as it was highly dependent on Boeing. The addition of the Airbus A350 was a strategic decision for the carrier’s expansion as it looked to diversify its fleet.

The new efficiency advancements of the Airbus A350 allows an increase in range and capacity. In fact, Arega says the aircraft will save Ethiopian up to US$1.8 million per year per plane on fuel.

Currently, Ethiopian Airlines holds the title of the largest airline in Africa and has one of the youngest fleets in the world. In fact, at one point the Star Alliance member was the only African operator of the Airbus A350. That has since changed as South African Airways took delivery of their first A350 last week. That aircraft will debut on a service to New York.