Air Transat unveils new CF Montréal livery

Air Transat and CF Montréal celebrate their partnership with the introduction of an exclusive new livery featuring the soccer Club's logo. This unique design now adorns one of Air Transat's Airbus A321LR aircraft, symbolizing the ongoing collaboration between these two Montreal institutions.

“At Air Transat, we are delighted to add a new dimension to our partnership with CF Montréal thanks to this livery. By flying this aircraft throughout our network, which spans four continents, we are helping to position Montreal as a must-see destination on the international stage, while raising the profile of our partner outside the country,” mentioned Xavier Szwengler, Vice President of Marketing and Loyalty at Transat.

This project marks an important milestone in the collaboration between Air Transat and CF Montréal, which began in 2024. Driven by a shared passion for soccer – a universal and unifying sport – this partnership fully reflects the airline's values of diversity and dynamism. It also offers a unique opportunity to raise Montreal's profile on the international scene, highlighting its role as a cultural and sporting hub.

“This unique livery is more than a visual representation, it is a celebration of our partnership with Air Transat,” said Eric Nadeau, Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer of CF Montréal. “It reflects the synergy between our two organizations. We are thrilled to see our Club's colours soar through the sky on the wings of such a respected airline. This initiative will reinforce our visibility and reach our supporters in a different way. We hope that the passengers who will have the opportunity to fly aboard this customized aircraft will feel the same pride.”

The new-generation Airbus A321LR aircraft features spacious cabins, state-of-the-art in-seat entertainment systems and is recognized as the most fuel-efficient aircraft in its class.

Founded in Montreal 36 years ago, Air Transat is a leading travel brand voted 2024 World's Best Leisure Airline by passengers at the Skytrax World Airline Awards. Its program offers access to international destinations, mainly in Europe, the Caribbean, the East coast of the U.S, South America and North Africa. Air Transat is recognized for its excellent customer service. By renewing its fleet with the most energy-efficient aircraft in their category, Air Transat is committed to a more sustainable travel industry. Based in Montreal with major hubs in YUL Montréal-Trudeau International Airport and Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ), it has near 5,000 employees with a common purpose to bring people closer together.

Founded in 1992 and having completed its first season in 1993, CF Montréal is a professional soccer club playing in MLS since 2012. It has won the Canadian Championship five times (2008, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2021) and reached the final of the Concacaf Champions League in 2015, as well as the quarter-finals in 2009 and 2022. CF Montréal plays its home games at Stade Saputo, a soccer-specific stadium with a capacity of 19,619.

In 2010, the organization established the CF Montréal Academy, a soccer training centre with over 100 players. CF Montréal was the first professional club in North America to offer a sports-study program. The Club's development structure also includes U13 and U14 Pre-Academy teams. The Club's network of Partner Clubs (CIP) and regional programs also enable the Club to reach nearly 1,000 additional U8 to U12 players. The women's program was introduced to the Club's Academy on May 31, 2023.

Through the Montreal Impact Foundation, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2023, CF Montréal is deeply involved in the community. Its mission is to organize and support activities to improve the quality of life of children and families from underserved communities. In particular, it provides sports facilities to promote physical activity and social integration.

Air Transat and Porter Airlines expand their commercial collaboration

Travellers can book standalone segments with each airline and access a broader network of destinations.

Air Transat and Porter Airlines are launching the first phase of their transformative joint venture. Travellers can now use each partner's distribution channels to book direct and connecting flights with either Air Transat or Porter, therefore significantly increasing their access to a wide and expanding range of destinations around the world.

In practical terms, this means that Air Transat now offers an extensive range of destinations operated by Porter across Canada—from St. Johns to Victoria—and select U.S. cities including Boston, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando, Tampa and Washington through airtransat.com. Porter now provides non-stop flights operated by Air Transat to Europe from Toronto Pearson (YYZ), Montréal-Trudeau (YUL) and Québec City (YQB), as well as connecting flights to Europe from anywhere in Canada on flyporter.com.

“Our alliance is enhancing the travel experience by seamlessly integrating our services across North and Latin America, as well as Europe and North Africa. By leveraging the strengths of our highly complementary networks, we are committed to delivering more choice to Canadians with a high-quality service,” said Sebastian Ponce, Chief Revenue Officer at Transat.

Air Transat has confirmed it will offer a non-stop service between Montreal and Lyon

Air Transat has confirmed it will offer a non-stop service between Montreal and Lyon next winter, thus becoming the only airline to operate this route year-round. Canadian travellers will be able to discover or rediscover this city renowned for its gastronomy and enjoy easy access to the French Alps, a world-class ski destination. In winter 2023-2024, this route will operate three days a week from Montreal on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Air Transat already flies up to seven times per week between Montreal and Lyon in the summer season. It services a total of eight French cities including two on a year-round schedule, namely Paris and now Lyon.

"As the leading carrier between Quebec and France, it was natural for us to add Lyon and its region to our winter program," said Michèle Barre, Air Transat's Chief Revenue Officer. "Route annualizations are part of our development strategy and, incidentally, our A321LR fleet is the best tool to meet this goal. We are delighted to meet the growing demand between Canada and France, which will benefit winter sports enthusiasts, business travellers and the expat community alike."

The route will be operated with new generation Airbus A321LR aircraft featuring spacious cabins, state-of-the-art in-seat entertainment systems and the lowest fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions (CO2 and NOx) in their class.

Air Lease Corporation to lease four Airbus A321XLR aircraft to Air Transat

An Air Transat A321LR    Photo Airbus

This week Air Lease Corporation announced it will supply four new Airbus A321XLR aircraft to the Canadian airline Air Transat.  Three new aircraft are confirmed to deliver to the airline starting at the end of 2025 through 2026 from ALC’s order book with Airbus. The agreement also includes an option for one additional A321XLR aircraft to be delivered in 2027.  

“ALC is pleased to announce this lease placement for four new A321XLRs with Air Transat and be the first to introduce the XLR to the Canadian airline,” said Steven Udvar-Házy, Executive Chairman of Air Lease Corporation.  “The A321XLR will bring new levels of comfort and excellent service to Air Transat’s passengers, while providing significant enhancements to the airline’s operational efficiency.” 

"Air Transat's new leasing agreement with our long-trusted partner ALC represents another key milestone in the renewal and simplification of our fleet undertaken since 2017.  Along with A321LRs, XLRs figure as a cornerstone of Transat's 2022-2026 strategic plan.  These aircraft can improve the quality of our transatlantic program by increasing the number of frequencies per week with the same capacity, representing a more attractive offer for our customers.  Adding these three new XLRs to our fleet - with a fourth optional one - will allow us greater operational flexibility as this type of aircraft is very well suited to our needs across our programs annually," stated Annick Guérard, President and Chief Executive Officer of Transat.

An Air Transat A321LR    Photo Airbus

Air Transat to carry Ukrainian refugees to Canada

Canadian holiday airline, Air Transat has announced its partnership with 4Ukraine.ca to help relocate Ukrainians displaced by war coming to Canada. Air Transat will be providing available seats to Ukrainian nationals on their flights operating from Paris and London mainly to Montréal or Toronto. 4Ukraine.ca will be covering taxes and airport charges. In addition to operating a donation-based airfare program, 4Ukraine.ca includes a rigorous vetting process, host family background checks, and job prospecting for Ukrainians relocating to Canada.

"We are thrilled to work with Air Transat on this initiative," said 4Ukraine.ca co-founder and director, Anna Chif. "This partnership means the world to Ukrainians wanting to come to Canada. Air Transat's offer, combined with our rigorous process and our private donations, provides a viable solution that ensures Ukrainians coming to Canada are safe and prepared to live here. The arrangement will give us access to a significant number of seats and allows us to exponentially increase the impact of our donations."

Air Transat, which has already successfully helped several families fly to Canada, is eager to continue supporting humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. "It was important for us to support the relocation of Ukrainians with an organization that facilitates every step of the relocation process, with a focus on ensuring the safety of this vulnerable population that has already faced significant trauma," said Transat President and Chief Executive Officer Annick Guérard.

This partnership complements the fundraising campaign launched by Transat in March amongst its employees and customers to assist SOS Children's Villages, a long-time charitable partner that has rapidly scaled up its response in Ukraine to meet the critical needs of vulnerable children and families affected by the conflict. "By adding our partnership with 4Ukraine.ca to our support to SOS Children's Villages, we are able to lend help to Ukrainians internally displaced in Ukraine, as well as those who have fled the country and wish to relocate to Canada." Added Guérard.

To date, 4Ukraine.ca has raised over $65,000 in donations and secured a partnership with FlightHub for $100,000 worth of flights. To support families and make this offer available to more qualifying Ukrainians, Canadians can donate directly on the 4Ukraine.ca website. Employers looking to hire Ukrainians and individuals wishing to host Ukrainians can find information at 4Ukraine.ca.

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Air Transat adds interline partners and ramps up flights to France

The Canadian leisure airline founded in Montreal some 35 years ago, Air Transat has arranged a little enhancement to its virtual interlining service by adding deals with three new European airline partners. The firm's “connectair by Air Transat” system now allows customers the ability to combine Air Transat flights with those of Azores Airlines, Loganair and SKY Express.

Air Transat passengers can now connect to several more cities in England and Scotland, the Portuguese Azores islands and Greece. The platform already enables passengers to combine flights to numerous destinations in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, Central and South America, as well as in Quebec, thanks to partnerships with easyJet, Vueling, Avianca and Pascan.

Joseph Adamo, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Transat said: "connectair by Air Transat, our virtual interlining service exclusive to our airline in Canada, is a great, easy-to-use tool that enables us to quickly add trusted new partners and help travellers choose their dream holiday from an ever-expanding selection.”

Back to France....

The holiday airline also recently announced it was gradually resuming flight operations to France, starting last week with the first direct flight from Montreal to Marseille. In addition to gradually increasing flight frequency between Montreal and the City of Light, the airline will soon be relaunching its service to Paris from Toronto and Quebec City.

Adamo said “We are very pleased to resume our flights to France's regions. These routes—most of which we operate exclusively—have been an integral part of our flight program for many years

The ties between Canada and France are very valuable and as our global recovery picks up speed, we look forward to meeting the significant latent demand. We know that whether travellers are going on vacation or catching up with loved ones, they really appreciate the ease of flying direct to their final destination, especially on our new-generation aircraft."

Non-stop service to France

From Montreal, Air Transat will gradually start flying back to Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Nice and Toulouse by early May. These are in addition to the usual daily Paris service from Montreal, which will reach up to 14 flights per week in May.

The company has resumed its Quebec – Paris service and will resume its direct service to Paris from Toronto on 3rd May.

Departure city	Destination	Start date	No. of direct weekly flights*
Montreal	Bordeaux	May 2	4
Montreal	Lyon	April 25	4
Montreal	Marseille	April 8	5
Montreal	Nantes	May 2	3
Montreal	Nice	May 3	2
Montreal	Paris	Year-round	14
Montreal	Toulouse	May 1	4
Quebec City	Paris	April 10	3
Toronto	Paris	May 3	4

*	At the height of summer season.

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Air Canada's take over of Air Transat is now off....

Air Canada has confirmed today that the deal to take over Transat is now at an end, the Canadian firms have mutually agreed to terminate the arrangement agreement with immediate effect. Dropping the deal is costing Air Canada a $12.5 million termination fee.

Air Canada and Transat had originally agreed in June 2019 on the acquisition, the terms of which were subsequently amended in August 2019 and then revised in October 2020 as a result of the severe economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As previously disclosed, the acquisition was conditional on the approval of various regulatory authorities, including the European Commission ("EC"). In order to meet that key condition, Air Canada offered and enhanced a significant package of remedies, which went beyond the commercially reasonable efforts required of Air Canada under the Arrangement Agreement and what has been traditionally accepted by the EC in previous airline merger cases. Following recent discussions with the EC, it has become evident, however, that the EC will not approve the acquisition based on the currently offered remedy package.

After careful consideration, Air Canada has concluded that providing additional, onerous remedies, which may still not secure an EC approval, would significantly compromise Air Canada's ability to compete internationally, negatively impacting customers, other stakeholders and future prospects as it recovers and rebuilds from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Especially in this challenging environment, it is essential that Air Canada focus on creating the optimal conditions for its full recovery by preserving and leveraging all of its key strengths and assets including its strong employee culture.

Both Air Canada and Transat have agreed to terminate the Arrangement Agreement with Air Canada paying Transat a termination fee of $12.5 million, and with Transat no longer under any obligation to pay Air Canada any fee should Transat be involved in another acquisition or similar transaction in the future.

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Air Canada gets approval to take over Transat group despite dire warnings from Competition Bureau

Air Canada gets the green light for Transat takeover.....

In a shock move, we're told at the direct request of Justin Trudeau, the government of Canada has given its approval for Air Canada to take over the Transat group despite dire warnings from the competitions bureau.

The Competition Bureau has warned the purchase of Transat by Air Canada would be bad for consumers "Eliminating the rivalry between these airlines would result in increased prices, less choice, decreases in service and a significant reduction in travel by Canadians on a variety of routes where their existing networks overlap."

Yet, on Thursday evening the government approved the purchase without any significant remedies, conditions, or clauses, giving many cause for concern, including the boss of rival airline WestJet.

Air Transat halts operations....until 30th April

In a shock announcement, the Canadian holiday carrier Air Transat has decided to halt all operations until at least April 30th, with the exception of some repatriation flights.

The travel company says it is making the decision following the recent measures announced by the Canadian government.  In a statement, the firm said "We know that this news is causing a great deal of concern among our customers currently at destination or who planned to travel in the coming weeks, and we’d like to assure them that we’re doing everything we can to ensure that this situation beyond our control has the least impact possible on them. That includes making sure that we have a sufficient number of repatriation flights and available seats to return all our customers back home as soon as possible."

Jean-Marc Eustache, President and Chief Executive Officer said: "We are putting in place the measures requested by the Canadian government, including not travelling to the South. This forces us to temporarily suspend all our flights, including to Europe.  - We obviously share the government's objective to protect Canadians from COVID-19, including the new variants, and this is what all of our personnel have been doing in recent months, particularly onboard our aircraft, with a comprehensive program of adapted sanitary measures."

The travel firm has reiterated its request to the federal government for more sector-specific financial assistance as it battles to cope with the latest shutdown.  It said, 'the airline industry is highly competitive, and international carriers from other countries have benefited from significant support measures from their governments since the beginning of the pandemic. This is creating a considerable imbalance that has hurt the competitiveness of Canada's airlines for months and threatens their survival. Moreover, the entire Canadian economy will be deprived of the vital and strategic contribution of the airline and aeronautics industry when the recovery comes.'

Information for Transat's customers.....

Air Transat is making its first commercial flights

Transat, one of the largest integrated tourism companies in the world and Canada's holiday travel leader, is making its first commercial flights today, the day it is resuming air operations after four months of inactivity. There will be three international flights (Montreal-Toulouse, Montreal-Paris and Toronto-London) and three domestic flights (Montreal-Toronto, Toronto-Montreal and Toronto-Vancouver). Transat's entire reduced summer schedule of 24 routes to some 20 destinations will be up and running by August 2.

"July 23 is, and will remain, a very special day in the history of Transat. We are gradually resuming our flight operations after a 112-day shutdown," said Annick Guérard, Chief Operating Officer, Transat. "There will be excitement in the air during our carrier's first takeoffs this evening. The entire Transat team, starting with our on-duty flight crews, is very pleased to return to action and to offer our passengers a restyled experience adapted to the situation. The skies are slowly clearing and that is encouraging, but it in no way means that the crisis caused by COVID-19 is over."

AerCap, Air Transat and Airbus celebrating A321LR sustainable aviation fuel delivery flights

First delivery of an Airbus A321LR for Air Transat with sustainable aviation fuel (left to right): Damien Imbert, Head of Contracts Delivery, Airbus Hamburg; Capt. Manuel Chabot, Air Transat; Gunnar Gross, Project Leader Sustainable Air Fuel Airbus Hamburg; Jürgen Kuper, General Manager Air bp Continental Europe; Capt. Andrew Gordon, Air Transat; Ronny Stelter, Consultant Manager New Aircraft Acceptance and Delivery, AerCap Photo NW Group/Transat A.T. Inc.

The Canadian leisure carrier Air Transat is making its first two delivery flights today and tomorrow with its new jets fuelled by a kerosene blend containing 10% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a first for the Canadian carrier. 

It is also a first for the Airbus plant in Hamburg, Germany, which produces these aircraft, because until today delivery with SAF was offered only to Airbus customers at its plants in Toulouse, France, and Mobile, Alabama. The first aircraft took off at 2:04 p.m. (local time) from Hamburg Finkenwerder Airport (XFW) and will land at approximately 4:00 p.m. (local time) at Montreal–Trudeau International Airport (YUL). The second will depart the next day, Saturday, July 18.

"It is an honour for us and a sign of confidence from Airbus to be, together with AerCap, its first customer to take advantage of this new delivery option at its Hamburg plant," said Jean-François Lemay, President and General Manager, Air Transat. "This initiative is part of our commitment to reducing our own carbon footprint while contributing to the achievement of the airline industry's ambitious decarbonization targets."

AerCap Delivers New A321NEO-LR to Air Transat

Leasing giant AerCap Holdings has announced today that it has delivered a new Airbus A321LR on operating lease to Air Transat.AerCap is the world's largest Airbus A320neo Family lessor, with 325 aircraft owned and on order.

"We are very pleased to deliver to Air Transat a new A321LR," said Philip Scruggs, President and Chief Commercial Officer of AerCap. "The exceptional capabilities and economics of the A321LR will allow Air Transat to fly to its destinations with greater efficiency during these difficult times for airlines."

"The A321LR is the ideal new-generation aircraft for the transformation of our fleet and the relaunch of our air operations, which will resume on July 23," said Jean-François Lemay, President of Air Transat. "The arrival of our fourth A321LR allows us to become more efficient and provide a better experience for our customers, while taking an important step in the energy transition in air transportation."

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Start Discovering Canada with Transat Distribution Canada and CanaDream

Start Discovering Canada with Transat Distribution Canada and CanaDream

Transat Distribution Canada (TDC), Canada’s largest full-service travel agency network, is happy to announce that is has recently partnered with one of the largest recreational vehicles (RV) rental and sales companies in Canada, CanaDream. With pick up locations from seven gateways in Canada, and a fleet of more than 1300 luxury vehicles, CanaDream offers the perfect option for couples and families of all ages looking to get away this year.

“Transat Distribution Canada is always proactively looking for suppliers that will enhance what our members have to offer their customer”, says Louise Fecteau, TDC General Manager. “The recent feedback we've received from them indicates that Canadians are eager to travel, which is why we wanted to expand our usual offering of overseas destinations with a different proposal. That is why we feel now is an ideal time to see Canada. We are fortunate to partner with CanaDream at this time and offer this vacation option to our clients.  Because we all want to support local business and communities to rebound, and with gas prices so low, now is a great time to experience Canada. And with this unique RV offer, travellers from across the country will be able to enjoy the comfort of their own “home away from home” on wheels”.

Transat takes note of the continuation of the European Commission's approval process for the transaction with Air Canada

Transat A.T. Inc. has taken note of the European Commission's decision to open an in-depth ("Phase 2") investigation to assess the proposed transaction with Air Canada. Transat is currently studying the EC's decision in order to prepare the next steps in the process.

This extension is part of the EC's normal process of assessing the impact of transactions submitted for its approval, which is currently complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it is having on the international commercial aviation market.

“We haven’t been treated the same”: CUPE Airline Workers Call for Immediate Financial Support and Access to Benefits

On April 1, flight attendants and flight directors, members of the Toronto Base of Air Transat, CUPE Local 4047, made their final repatriation flights, bringing Canadians back to the country due to the pandemic. The 740 members in Toronto, who are being laid off on April 5, are currently voting on a plan to secure health care benefits, calling for immediate income support, and advocating for further reliefs tailored to airline workers.

“A lot of us are in trouble,” said Charlie Ezerzer, President of Local 4047, referencing the layoffs and the immediate financial challenges most of the members are facing.

In addition to CUPE members in Toronto, the airline is based in Montreal and Vancouver. Those members, who are also being laid off on April 5, live in provinces where residents can rely on immediate financial support that’s separate from Employment Insurance and the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

AirTransat lays off 70% of staff

AirTransat has confirmed it will lay off around 70% of staff temporarily and the final Air Transat flight prior to the full suspension of its operations is scheduled for April 1.

The airline announced earlier in March that it would be gradually temporary halting of all its flights until April 30. Operations are being stopped gradually in order to enable Transat to repatriate as many of its customers as possible to their home countries.

As of March 18, some 65,000 Canadian Transat customers were at Sun or Europe destinations. By March 22, about 40,000, or more than 60 % of them, had been returned to Canada.

Air Transat unveils its 2020 summer flight programme

Air Transat has released more details of its 2020 summer flight programme for Ontario. In all, the airline will be offering 95 direct flights a week from Toronto to Europe, the South and the United States. This includes a new direct flight to Faro, Portugal—a first in the summertime.

European destinations still a priority

Air Transat's new program features 14 weekly flights to London (England), up from nine flights a week in summer 2019. There will be five direct flights a week to Manchester (England), Dublin (Ireland), Glasgow (Scotland) and Paris (France). Options will also abound for Italy, with seven direct flights a week to Rome, two to Venice and one to Lamezia. Travellers will find eight weekly departures for Portugal: four to Lisbon, three to Porto and, for the first time in summer, a direct flight to Faro, in the Algarve. Finally, Air Transat will fly direct three times a week to Barcelona (Spain), Zagreb (Croatia) and Athens (Greece), and four times to Amsterdam (Netherlands).

Scandinavia within reach: discover cool Copenhagen with Transat

Transat, Canada's leader in leisure travel, will bring Scandinavia and its legendary charms closer to Canadian travellers this summer with two direct flights per week out of Montreal to Copenhagen, along with a selection of guided tours, packages and cruises that highlight Nordic splendours. There's something for every type of traveller!

Air Transat to get six Airbus A321-200s

Air Lease Corporation announced lease agreements with Air Transat for six Airbus A321-200 aircraft on Monday. The aircraft will deliver to the airline beginning this month through December 2019.

“ALC is very pleased to add Air Transat as a new airline customer, leasing six A321-200s to support their route network in Canada, across the Atlantic, and to the USA, Mexico and the Caribbean,” said Steven F. Udvar-Házy, Executive Chairman of Air Lease Corporation. “We have a long history of working with our friends at Air Transat and this opportunity enhances our excellent relationship with the airline.”

“We are delighted to have been able to arrange the leasing of these A321 aircraft with Air Lease Corporation on such short notice,” said Jean-François Lemay, President of Air Transat. “They are replacing seasonal aircraft we were supposed to receive from Thomas Cook this winter as part of our seasonal aircraft-sharing agreement. We have known people at ALC for a long time and we are happy to work with this trusted partner, which is enabling us to have the type of aircraft we need to provide the best service to our leisure-travel

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Air Transat introduces flights to San Diego, enhances U.S. offering

Air Transat introduces flights to San Diego, enhances U.S. offering

Air Transat, will launch the only direct flight between Montreal and San Diego, California, in the summer of 2020. In addition, in light of the great interest in New Orleans, a new destination Air Transat will be offering for the first time this winter, the airline will extend its flights to the summer of 2020. Finally, more flights to Florida from Montreal and Quebec City will be added to the programme.

"We are enriching our offering to the western and southern United States, in line with growing travellers' expectations," says Annick Guérard, Chief Operating Officer of Transat. "The North American tourism market is strong, and as the No. 1 leisure airline in Canada, we are happy to increase our destinations and frequencies, all while strengthening our Montreal hub."