Transat is made its first commercial flights yesterday, resuming air operations after four months of inactivity. There will be three international flights (Montreal-Toulouse, Montreal-Paris and Toronto-London) and three domestic flights (Montreal-Toronto, Toronto-Montreal and Toronto-Vancouver). Transat’s entire reduced summer schedule of 24 routes to some 20 destinations will be up and running by August 2.

“July 23 is, and will remain, a very special day in the history of Transat. We are gradually resuming our flight operations after a 112-day shutdown,” said Annick Guérard, chief operating officer, Transat, before the flights. “There will be excitement in the air during our carrier’s first takeoffs this evening. The entire Transat team, starting with our on-duty flight crews, is very pleased to return to action and to offer our passengers a restyled experience adapted to the situation. The skies are slowly clearing and that is encouraging, but it in no way means that the crisis caused by COVID-19 is over.”

To put things in perspective, September 11, 2001, was the most significant and transformative event in the travel and tourism industry in the last two decades. But as astonishing as it may seem today, by September 13, just two days later, Transat announced the gradual resumption of its flights.

Traveller Care for a totally safe trip

One of the key elements of the recovery is of course customers’ confidence in travelling safely. In this regard, Transat’s Traveller Care program offers a complete package of health and safety measures for people on the move.

Based on the recommendations of regulatory authorities, the travel experience has been completely revamped: from the travel agency, to the airport, on board the aircraft, and all the way to the destination. The program is accompanied by a comprehensive practical guide that includes, among other information, the requirements of destination countries and airports.