After an uncertain flightless period lasting half a year, Canadian carrier Air Transat is finally back in the skies. The return to service marks the beginning of a diverse summer program at the airline. This will see it serve a range of leisure destinations as far afield as Europe. It also plans to tap into increased domestic demand with additional internal flights.
Returning to the skies
2021 has been a challenging year for Canadian carrier Air Transat. It started off well, with a proposed merger with flag carrier Air Canada receiving governmental approval in February. However, this hit an obstacle two months later, when the industry crisis forcing the airlines to cancel the merger in April. Travel restrictions have also impacted operations.
Indeed, Air Transat has also been unable to operate scheduled commercial flights for half a year. It had hoped to recommence these in June, but it is only today that the airline has returned to the skies. Its first post-suspension revenue-earning service connected Montréal with Punta Cana (Dominican Republic). Annick Guérard, its President and CEO, stated:
“It is with great joy and excitement that we return to the skies after these long months of suspension. We are thrilled to finally reunite with our travellers and allow them to reconnect with their favourite destinations through our world-renowned travel experience.”
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While TS374 from Montréal to Punta Cana departed nearly half an hour late, RadarBox.com forecasted an early arrival of 11:44 (STA 11:55) at the time of writing. The aircraft operating this service was an Airbus A321LR registered as C-GOIF. This next-generation narrowbody will also presumably be operating the return flight back to Montréal.
This service, numbered as TS375, is set to leave Punta Cana at 13:15 local time. It will touch back down in Canada at 17:45. Air Transat’s third and final flight of its first day back in the skies will be a domestic jaunt from Montréal to Vancouver. This reflects the airline’s plans to operate more internal services in response to increased domestic demand. It states that:
“To meet the sustained demand from travelers wishing to uncover more of their Canada this summer, Air Transat offers an extensive program of domestic flights between Calgary, Montréal, Québec City, Toronto, and Vancouver. This includes exclusive direct flights between Québec City and Vancouver, a first for the airline.”
A busy summer ahead
All in all, Air Transat’s busy summer program will see the airline serve 24 routes 16 destinations. To support these plans, three more Airbus A321LRs will come onboard, bringing the carrier’s total fleet of these long-range narrowbodies to 10 aircraft.
In terms of destinations, Air Transat will supplement its domestic offering with extensive international coverage. The carrier will serve the neighboring US (Fort Lauderdale and Orlando), as well as various Central American holiday hotspots. Long-haul services are also returning, with Portugal (Lisbon and Porto) and the UK (London) on the cards.
What do you make of Air Transat’s return to the skies? Are you planning on flying with the Canadian carrier this summer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
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