Air Transat continues introducing a fleet of narrow-body jets, some
permanent, some seasonal
MONTREAL, Sept. 13, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Transat A.T. Inc. announces the
signing of an agreement for the seasonal leasing of Boeing B737-800
narrow-body aircraft that will be supplied in winter by Transavia
France, the Air France/KLM Group's French leisure airline. The
five-year pact is for four planes for the winter of 2015, five for
2016, six for 2017, seven for 2018 and eight for 2019. The aircraft,
which will be operated by Air Transat, will fly to Sun destinations in
Mexico and the Caribbean.
This agreement follows from Transat's already expressed decision to
internalize narrow-body medium-haul operations, for which it has relied
on a third-party partner since 2003, and to adopt a so-called
"accordion fleet" strategy, which enables it to adjust the number of
aircraft to the seasonal needs of the tourism market. On July 24,
Transat announced an agreement with the U.S.-based International Lease
Finance Corporation (ILFC) for the long-term leasing of four Boeing
B737-800s, which will become the core of Air Transat's permanent
narrow-body fleet.
"We are continuing to move forward with our implementation of a fleet of
narrow- and wide-body jets that is adaptable to seasonal needs," said
Jean-Marc Eustache, President and Chief Executive Officer of Transat,
adding: "This deal gives us greater flexibility and a significantly
improved cost structure. This strategy is key to our future success and
to a return to profitability in winter, and will also ensure that we
maintain the high quality of our products and our customer experience."
For his part, Antoine Pussiau, President and Chief Executive Officer of
Transavia France, enthused: "We are thrilled to strengthen our
relationship with our partner of choice Transat A.T. By renewing an
agreement originally forged between the two companies in 2010,
Transavia France is once again improving its flexibility and its
ability to adapt to the seasonal nature of its operations."
About Transavia France
Transavia France is the French leisure airline founded by the Air
France/KLM Group. It offers very competitive priced scheduled and
charter flights to European and Mediterranean destinations directly to
consumers as well as to tour operators.
About Transat
Transat A.T. Inc. is an integrated international tour operator with more
than 60 destination countries and that distributes products in over 50
countries. A holiday travel specialist, Transat operates mainly in
Canada and Europe, as well as in the Caribbean, Mexico and the
Mediterranean Basin. Montreal-based Transat is also active in air
transportation, accommodation, destination services and distribution.
Transat's firm commitment to sustainable tourism development is
reflected in its multiple corporate responsibility initiatives. (TSX:
TRZ.B, TRZ.A).
SOURCE Transat A.T. Inc.
