Source: Air Transat
Air Transat celebrates the launch of its brand-new direct service between Vancouver and Quebec City, becoming the first and only airline to operate this route. Flights will be offered once a week, on Mondays from Vancouver and on Sundays from Quebec City, until October 25.
“It was only natural for us to add this route to our summer schedule,” says Joseph Adamo, Transat’s Chief Sales and Marketing Officer. “As we predicted, travellers are showing a strong interest in domestic destinations, so we are pleased to offer them this new route linking two of Canada’s most important tourist hubs.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Air Transat back to Canada’s skies with its new service connecting YVR to beautiful Quebec City,” says Tamara Vrooman, President and CEO of Vancouver International Airport. “The addition of this seasonal flight provides travellers with more options when flying domestically from YVR and is a strong signal of confidence from Air Transat as it rejoins Canada’s airlines in the effort to reopen travel and tourism across the country, safely and in a measured approach. At YVR, we are ready to welcome back all passengers to the airport and are committed to delivering a safe and seamless experience to our passengers who, thanks to Air Transat, now have another great destination to visit direct from Vancouver.”
“Now that we can start travelling again, Air Transat is inviting people from Quebec City to discover Western Canada starting this summer,” says Stéphane Poirier, President and CEO of Quebec City’s Jean Lesage International Airport. “The addition of flights to Vancouver meets a demand expressed by the population for many years and is aligned with our objective to improve air service from Quebec City. We welcome Air Transat’s confidence in our market. We hope that passengers will choose YQB as their departure point for their next trip.”
The route will be operated by next-generation Airbus A321neoLR aircraft, which feature spacious cabins and state-of-the-art in-seat entertainment systems and have the lowest fuel consumption and greenhouse gas (CO2 and NOx) emissions in their class.
This summer, from Vancouver, Air Transat will also offer direct flights to Montreal and Toronto.
Ressumption of Operations
Air Transat operated its first commercial flights on 30 July 2021 after six months of inactivity due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. On that day three flights were scheduled : Montreal–Punta Cana, Punta Cana–Montreal and Montreal–Vancouver. These flights kick off the airline’s summer program, which will include, at the height of the season, 24 routes to 16 destinations in Canada, the United States, the South and Europe.
“It is with great joy and excitement that we return to the skies after these long months of suspension,” says Annick Guérard, President and CEO of Transat. “We are thrilled to finally reunite with our travellers and allow them to reconnect with their favourite destinations through our world-renowned travel experience. In preparation for our return, our teams have been working hard to ensure the safety of travellers and facilitate their planning by continuously adjusting our Traveller Care health and safety program and our practical guide on travel requirements.”
A diversified summer program and a new domestic route
To meet the sustained demand from travellers wishing to uncover more of their Canada this summer, Air Transat offers an extensive program of domestic flights between Calgary, Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto and Vancouver. This includes exclusive direct flights between Quebec City and Vancouver, a first for the airline.
This domestic program also allows Canadians to travel to more international destinations via connecting flights from Montreal, Toronto and Quebec City.
In addition, from Montreal, Air Transat will gradually operate direct flights to Cuba (Holguin and Varadero), the Dominican Republic (Punta Cana), France (Paris), Haiti (Port-au-Prince), Mexico (Cancun), Portugal (Lisbon) and the United States (Fort Lauderdale and Orlando).
Travellers from Toronto will be able to fly direct to Cuba (Holguin and Varadero), the Dominican Republic (Punta Cana), England (London), Mexico (Cancun), Portugal (Porto) and the United States (Fort Lauderdale and Orlando).
And from Quebec City, direct flights will be offered to the United States (Fort Lauderdale).
In addition, the company will also offer vacationers a selection of South packages, featuring 160 properties and four collections: Luxury, Out of Office, Family and Solo.
Depending on the evolution of travel restrictions, Air Transat may have to modify its flight schedule. Nevertheless, it would like to reassure travellers affected by major changes that they would be eligible for a refund.
Three more Airbus A321neoLR aircraft added to the fleet
Air Transat continues to transform its fleet with the delivery of three new Airbus A321neoLR, bringing the total number of these aircraft in its fleet to 10. Seven more are expected to be delivered progressively by 2023. It is worth reminding that these new generation aircraft have the lowest environmental impact in their class, reinforcing the company’s commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.The addition of these aircraft enhances the airline’s world-class fleet, one of the most modern in the industry.