A joint venture between eastern Canadian carriers Air Transat and Porter Airlines began in earnest on 5 June, kicking off the first phase of the airlines’ commercial collaboration.
The carriers have officially begun coordinating flight schedules and routes, allowing air travellers to use either company’s platform to book direct and connecting flights with the other.
From a strategy perspective, Porter’s growing domestic and transborder network will feed into Air Transat’s ocean-crossing operations to Western Europe, North Africa and Latin America.
“Air Transat now offers an extensive range of destinations operated by Porter across Canada – from St Johns to Victoria – and select US cities including Boston, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando, Tampa and Washington,” Transat says.
”Porter now provides nonstop flights operated by Air Transat to Europe from Toronto Pearson, Montreal-Trudeau and Quebec City, as well as connecting flights to Europe from anywhere in Canada.”
Air Transat and Porter revealed their intended partnership in November 2023, outlining a collaboration that would accelerate growth of their respective networks and provide a viable challenge to the effective duopoly of Air Canada and WestJet Airlines.
Operating an outsized international network, Transat has long sought an effective means to feed passengers from within Canada and the USA to its international flights. Meanwhile, Toronto-based Porter has been extending its reach across North America
“Porter’s growing presence throughout North America fits perfectly with Air Transat’s international routes,” says Edmond Eldebs, Porter’s chief commercial officer. “We are able to operate independently, but collaboratively, to give passengers more choices when they are booking their travel, whether for single flights or itineraries requiring connections with both airlines.”
Transat’s long-held ambition of flying to Africa will soon become a reality. The carrier plans to operate twice-weekly flights from its hub in Montreal to Marrakesh, Morocco starting on 12 June, with a reduced schedule of once weekly flights during winter months.
