The new connection with Toronto and Montreal marks the island's first regular transatlantic service to North America since the 1970s and reinforces the destination's tourism diversification strategy.
The island of Gran Canaria will have for the first time in its history regular direct flights with Canada, an unprecedented connection that will mark a milestone for the tourist destination by becoming the first stable transoceanic operation with North America in 50 years.
The new route will be operated by Canadian airline Air Transat, which serves more than 60 destinations in Canada, the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, South America, and Europe. The service will operate twice weekly: flights to Montreal on Sundays and flights to Gran Canaria on Mondays from Toronto. Flights from Canada will depart from Montreal on Saturdays and from Toronto on Sundays.
The airline will operate this route using Airbus A321LR aircraft, a model adapted for long-haul, high-efficiency transatlantic routes. This aircraft has a capacity of approximately 200 passengers in two classes.
The Tourism Department of the Gran Canaria Island Council considers this new connection "a historic step that places Gran Canaria in a new international dimension and confirms the prestige and strength of the destination in long-haul markets," as noted by the Tourism Councillor, Carlos Álamo.
“We will be directly connected with North America, facilitating the arrival of potential visitors interested in learning about our landscapes, our culture and the great attractions of the island,” Alamo emphasized.
The Minister of Tourism and Employment for the Canary Islands Government, Jéssica de León, highlighted the significant progress these new routes to Canada represent for the destination. “We are positioning the archipelago in a historic way in a strategic market with enormous potential for the islands, especially during the winter season, when we become the leading European sun and beach alternative for Canadian travelers,” De León stated. The opening of this route will provide access to one of the world's largest source markets for tourism spending, a strategic segment for the tourism diversification model promoted by the Gran Canaria Island Council in recent years. Furthermore, the connection will also benefit Gran Canaria residents, who will be able to travel to Canada without layovers.
“Gran Canaria offers the best of both worlds: the sunshine and mild climate of the Canary Islands combined with the charm and cultural richness of Europe,” said Sebastián Ponce, Transat’s revenue director. “With ideal weather year-round, spectacular beaches, and a vibrant culinary scene, it’s a destination that perfectly meets the expectations of travelers looking for something new,” the airline spokesperson added.
The Gran Canaria Tourism Board emphasizes that this connection is the result of years of technical work and international promotion developed by Gran Canaria and Canary Islands Tourism to position the destination in the North American market.
“We want to thank the Gran Canaria Tourism technical teams for their years of effort and hard work. Opening a market like this requires planning, perseverance, and a long-term strategy,” said Carlos Álamo.
For her part, Jessica de León explained that these new connections “are the result of intensive work in which the public company Turismo de Islas Canarias has played a key role,” and affirmed that these routes “reinforce our strategy of diversifying markets and attracting higher-value segments, aligned with the objective of increasing tourism revenue while maintaining current arrival levels and generating a positive impact of tourism on the local population.” De León noted that the Regional Ministry, along with Turismo de Gran Canaria, will be present next week at the professional conference being held in Canada to further consolidate the growing interest of this market in the islands.
The North American market represents an opportunity of enormous potential for Gran Canaria, not only in the field of holiday tourism, but also in segments such as business tourism, the audiovisual industry or the development of international cruise itineraries.
The new connection with Canada is part of the market diversification strategy developed by Gran Canaria Tourism, a line of work that has made it possible to reduce dependence on traditional markets and strengthen the stability of the destination in the face of possible fluctuations in international demand.
Gran Canaria is thus recovering a route that had been absent for more than half a century. The island once had 20% of its customers being North American in the 1970s.
Air Transat is one of Canada's leading leisure airlines. It specializes in international leisure routes, with a strong presence in the Quebec and Ontario markets. Headquartered in Montreal, it primarily operates from Montreal-Trudeau and Toronto Pearson. The airline carries approximately five million passengers annually. Air Transat has been recognized on several occasions as one of the world's best leisure airlines.
