Air Transat announced on Wednesday that they will gradually suspend operations due to the closing of Canada’s borders and similar decisions by other governments where the carrier operates. Repatriation flights will continue for the next two weeks.
Today (March 18, 2020), Air Transat announced that they will gradually suspend all flights due to the Government of Canada’s decision to close the border to foreign nationals, as well as similar decisions by the governments in regions where they operate. The carrier has also suspended sales for departures until April 30, 2020 to/from most destinations in the U.S. and Europe. Transat will continue to operate repatriation flights for the next two weeks to bring their guests home. Therefore, sales will temporarily remain open on routes in both directions between Montreal and Paris and Lisbon and Toronto and London and Lisbon. The company has waived all booking fees and customers will not have to pay any difference in ticket prices. Effective immediately, sales have also been suspended to Mexico and the Caribbean. Customers who are affected by cancelled flights will receive a travel credit good for 24 months from their original travel date. In Wednesday’s announcement, Transat’s President and Chief Executive officer, Jean-Marc Eustache said,
“This is an unprecedented situation, beyond our control, which is forcing us to briefly suspend all of our flights to contribute to the effort to fight the pandemic, protect our customers and employees and safeguard the company. We are doing everything we can so that this has as little impact as possible on our employees and customers, whom we make sure to bring back home.”
Air Transat will further expand their cost-cutting measures taken over the last few weeks by reducing staff in the coming days. Regrettably, these measures will include temporary layoffs, reduction of work time and salary cuts which will affect most employees. Additionally, senior executives and Board Members are also taking salary cuts.
Based in Montreal, Transat A.T. Inc. (Air Transat) is the third largest airline in Canada and leading integrated tourism company specializing in holiday travel. The company offers vacation packages, hotel accommodations and air service to more than 60 destinations over 25 countries in the Americas and Europe.
Source: Air Transat
Editor's Note: We stand by the entire Air Transat team and all airlines during this difficult period as the entire world fights to limit the transmission of, and ultimately recover from, the global COVID-19 pandemic. Once it has been defeated, we look forward to the emergence of an even stronger and more robust global commercial airline industry.