Canadian leisure carrier Air Transat is targeting Africa for the first time with plans to launch flights between Montreal and Marrakech, Morocco in June 2024.
The Montreal-based airline plans to fly twice weekly to Marrakech starting June 12 and continuing until October 24. Flight frequencies will then be reduced to once a week during the Northern Hemisphere winter.
“Montreal-Marrakesh [route] with our partner Air Transat is the first direct connection to Marrakesh from North America,” says Adel El Fakir, CEO of Morocco’s National Tourism Office.
Air Transat Group chief executive Annick Guerard calls the planned flights to North Africa “a milestone in the evolution of our company”.
“This exclusive year-round service will meet the growing demand, created by the significant presence of the Moroccan community in Montreal and the undeniable tourist attraction of Marrakesh,” he adds.
Air Transat has in recent months expanded its transatlantic flight network with an Airbus A321LR fleet that is now 14, according to Cirium fleet data. It is taking orders for five more long-range A321neo variants.
The airline is too seeks to gain a larger base in Mexico and South America from December.
Air Transat expects to operate more than 180 weekly flights from Montreal and 110 weekly flights from Toronto during the peak summer travel season of 2024.
The Montreal-only carrier’s recently launched summer schedule includes flights to nearly 20 European cities, including Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, ββLisbon, Paris, Rome and London.
“This program reflects a significant recovery, particularly in key markets in Europe and the South,” the airline says.
In September, Air Transat reported fiscal third-quarter earnings of C$57.3 million ($41.5 million) – first quarter from the end of 2019.