I’ve always loved airplanes, right from when I was a little kid. A few years ago, that love was stepped up with the start of It’s About Airplanes, a website attached to this one.

Now, three things keep me on a constant path to the area around Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ). First, the love remains. Second, the need for new aviation photography for the website is a constant. Third, I’ve got my seven and four year old kids obsessed. In fact, the third reason most often supersedes the other two.

Our goals on August 1, 2019 were pretty simple. The kids wanted to see a WestJet Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in action. We all wanted to see a Air Belgium Airbus A340-300 arrive.

The WestJet airliner is rare in that the airline has just three. The Air Belgium is ultra rare to our neck of the woods. First, Air Belgium doesn’t have scheduled flights to Toronto. It is currently working to fill the gaps for British Airways. Second, the Airbus A340-300 is just as rare at Toronto.

So, on this bright, sunny August afternoon, we photographed 62 airplanes over a four and a half hour span. The number of aircraft we saw probably approached 100. Most were domestic airlines, including Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge, WestJet, Air Transat, Sunwing and Flair Air.

We did capture aircraft from nine foreign based airlines. These are pictured below in the image gallery. Below that is information for each of those nine, including where they were arriving from.

Toronto Pearson Plane Spotting Image Gallery

Click on the individual images for a larger version of the photo. Go to It’s About Airplanes for more photos of these airplanes and many, many more.

High resolution versions of these images and other photos from the same day are available at Dreamstime. Want to earn cash from your own photos? Why not sign up for free with Dreamstime and start submitting now: Become a paid photographer!

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Info For The Airplanes Shown Above

SP-LRE LOT Polish Airlines Boeing 787-8

This Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was inbound from Warsaw, Poland. The flight time aboard this LOT Polish Airlines B788 was eight hours and 23 minutes. The Boeing 787-8 is the oldest member of the 787 family and is shorter than the new, and more popular, 787-9. This airliner was delivered to the Poland based airline on July 29, 2013.

OO-ABB Air Belgium Airbus A340-300

Currently working for British Airways, this Air Belgium Airbus A340-300 is a unique sight at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ). This airplane was arriving from London Heathrow after a seven hour and 13 minute flight over the Atlantic Ocean. This A343 was first delivered to Finnair on June 21, 2007. It joined the Air Belgium fleet on March 1, 2018.

LX-GCL Cargolux Boeing 747-400F

Our last airplane of the day and the one that caused the most stir. You see, we’re not the only airplane obsessed people that hang around the airport. In fact, we are rarely ever alone. But, when this Cargolux Boeing 747-400 freighter approached, the serious plane spotters all converged.

LC-GCL was incoming from Chicago, Illinois on a one hour flight. This B744 was first delivered to Cathay Pacific on March 15, 2005. The jumbo joined Cargolux on September 17, 2016.

F-GSPH Air France Boeing 777-200ER

As you can imagine, this Boeing 777-200ER was arriving from Paris France. The flight took seven hours and 35 minutes. This nearly 20 year old Boeing 777-200ER was delivered to Air France on May 21, 1999.

EI-EWR Aer Lingus Airbus A330-200

The unmistakable green of Aer Lingus is seen arriving in Toronto after a six hour 36 minute flight from Dublin, Ireland. This Airbus A330-200 has had two lifetimes with the airline. It was first delivered on May 9, 2000. Then, after flying for other airlines from 2009 to 2014, it returned to the fold on March 28, 2015.

B-KQY Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-300ER

15 hours in the sky. I’m not sure I’m ready for that kind of torture yet. That’s how long B-KQY was in flight between Hong Kong and Toronto. The Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-300ER was delivered to the airline on May 28, 2015.

B-2001 China Eastern Airlines Boeing 777-300ER

This aircraft was in the air nearly as long as the Cathay Pacific model. B-2001, a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 777-300ER, took 13 hours and 39 minutes to fly from Shanghai, China to Toronto. This airliner was delivered to China Eastern on September 25, 2014.

B-208T Hainan Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

Just a baby. B-208T joined the Hainan Airlines fleet on July 14, 2019, just a few weeks before we photographed it. This flight was inbound from Beijing, China and was seven minutes shy of 12 hours in the sky.

A6-ETQ Etihad Airways Boeing 777-300ER

A6-ETQ was landing after a 13 hour and five minute flight from Abu Dhabi. The Boeing 777-300ER was delivered to Etihad Airways on September 26, 2013.