The Gran Canaria market was supposed to be key for the North American company, and it's unclear whether Morocco is paying for the route. Air Transat is expanding its transatlantic network for the 2026 summer season with the opening of eight international routes connecting several Canadian cities with destinations in Europe and Africa, including Agadir, Morocco, which the company is presenting as a new direct connection from Montreal, part of a strategy to serve markets with few nonstop connections in Canada.
The Montreal-Agadir route will be inaugurated on June 12, 2026, and is part of a network that also includes Montreal-Dakar, Montreal-Keflavik, Toronto-Tirana, Quebec City-Marseille, Quebec City-Nantes, Ottawa-London Gatwick, and several extensions to major European regional hubs. The service to Agadir holds a special place within this network due to the previous lack of a direct connection between Morocco's Atlantic coast and North America, a situation that distinguishes this route from existing connections to Casablanca or Marrakech.
The company attributes this choice to the existing flow of travelers between French-speaking Canada and Morocco, particularly in Quebec, where family, tourism, and economic exchanges are concentrated. The route to Dakar follows a similar logic, centered on the strong ties between West Africa and Canada.
Reorganization of the Canadian network and use of new-generation long-haul aircraft. The summer 2026 program is based on opening routes from several Canadian airports, including Montreal, Toronto, Quebec City, and Ottawa, with connections to secondary European cities and Mediterranean or Atlantic destinations. Connections to Marseille and Nantes from Quebec City complement existing service to regional France, while the Ottawa-London Gatwick connection reinstates a previously operational route to the United Kingdom.
The operation of these routes relies primarily on the Airbus A321LR, the aircraft used for most of the new services due to its range and capacity, ideal for mid-sized markets. Some routes, notably Toronto-Tirana, utilize larger aircraft, such as the Airbus A330-200, designed to meet the anticipated increase in demand. This entire program reflects a reorganization of the network towards segments where direct demand remains limited but stable, with particular attention to European and African cities that have historically been poorly connected and lacked links to major North American hubs.
