Air Transat now services Marseille year-round and extends flights to Nantes

• Following the announcement earlier this winter that it will soon service Lyon all year, the airline is also adding Marseille to its roster of year-round destinations
• Additionally, it is extending its Montreal-Nantes service until January
• Air Transat is thus solidifying its title as the leading carrier between Quebec and France thanks to these two exclusive routes

MONTREAL, April 12, 2023 /CNW/ - Air Transat is proud to announce that, for the second time this year, it is expanding its operations in the French market, most notably on two exclusive direct routes departing from Montreal. Following the annualization of its service to Lyon announced earlier this winter, the airline is also adding Marseille and the region of Provence to its roster of year-round destinations. In addition, the non-stop service to Nantes will also be extended. Flights that initially ended in the fall will now be operated until 24 January, 2024, in order to offer travellers more flexibility when travelling to western France.

"Annualizing key routes of our flight network is at the core of our strategy, which is facilitated by the agility of our Airbus A321LR fleet. In the fall of 2022, we extended our service to Marseille until the end of the year for the very first time. Given the success of this initiative, we are delighted to repeat the experience, this time to Nantes," says Michèle Barre, Air Transat's Chief Revenue Officer. "The demand for the French provinces is skyrocketing; as the leading carrier between Quebec and France, we are happy to offer our world-class in-flight experience to an expanding clientele."

Air Transat is the only airline to offer direct flights from Canada to the airports of Marseille and Nantes. A total of seven French cities will be served non-stop this year, including three on a year-round schedule, namely Paris, Lyon, and now Marseille.

"We are thankful for Air Transat's confidence in Marseille-Provence, France's second largest regional airport," said Julien Boullay, Sales and Marketing Director at Aéroport Marseille-Provence. "The annualization of the Montreal-Marseille route is the result of a dynamic market that is increasingly less seasonal, driven by a solid leisure passenger base keen on direct long-haul flights – of which Montreal has always been one of the leading destinations. And with 300 days of sunshine a year, there is no doubt that Provence will also be very popular with Canadian travellers in the wintertime."

"Montreal is the longest-running international destination for our airport. These 20 years of operation have enabled us to build significant economic and cultural exchanges between Western France and Canada," says Xavier Lortat-Jacob, Chairman and CEO of Nantes Atlantique Airport - VINCI Airports. "Travellers on both sides of the pond will now be able to meet up more often this year thanks to the trust and commitment of Air Transat. We are pleased to strengthen the connectivity of our territory and its overseas influence."

The route will mainly 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 NO_x) in their class.

Founded in Montreal 35 years ago, Air Transat is a leading leisure travel brand. Voted North America's Best Leisure Airline by passengers at the Skytrax World Airline Awards, it flies to international, transborder and Canadian destinations. It is renewing its fleet with the greenest aircraft in their category as part of a commitment to a healthier environment, knowing that this is essential to its operations and the magnificent destinations it offers. Air Transat is a business unit of Transat A.T. Inc. (TSX: TRZ). To find out more, visit airtransat.com.

Image bank: transat.com/fr-CA/corporatif/medias

SOURCE Transat A.T. Inc.