At 6:07 am this Thursday (21), the inaugural flight of Air Transat from Toronto (YYZ) landed at Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, Peru, marking the Canadian airline’s entry into its second South American market. This service will be followed by the inaugural flight between Montreal and Lima on Friday 22.
As we had advanced in August, Air Transat arrives in Peru to operate year-round, filling the gap left by Air Canada this year.
The route between Toronto and Lima will operate twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, departing from the Canadian city at 22:00 to arrive at Jorge Chávez airport at 6:00 the following day. The return will be on Thursdays and Sundays, departing from Lima at 8:00 and landing in Toronto at 15:55. All times are local.
On the other hand, there will be a weekly flight between Montreal and Lima, departing on Fridays at 22:15 and arriving in the Peruvian capital at 6:40 the following day. In the opposite direction, it will depart on Saturdays at 8:25, arriving in Montreal at 16:45.
The flights will be operated on Airbus A321LR aircraft with capacity for 12 passengers in Club Class and 187 in Economy.
«It is a great pleasure for Air Transat to bring this promising route to fruition and finally see our star fly over Peru. Lima represents a strongly strategic South American gateway within our portfolio of destinations, allowing us to continue to benefit from the sustained growth of tourism on this continent,» said Michèle Barre, Chief Revenue Officer of Transat.
Emilio Parada, Commercial Strategy and Marketing Manager at Lima Airport Partners, said that «The launch of nonstop service from Lima Airport to these two prominent destinations is a significant milestone in Peruvian commercial aviation, and overall, a truly a special moment for us. This achievement will play a key role in the economic recovery of the Peruvian aviation industry, increase inbound tourism, facilitate connectivity and create new alliances between Peru and Canada.»
«This service is an excellent addition as it will provide passengers with a nonstop flight, saving more than 30% flying time compared to current itineraries offered,» added Kurush Minocher, from the Toronto Airports Authority; while Stéphane Lapierre, from Aéroports de Montréal, noted that «this year-round service will benefit not only Montreal’s large Peruvian community, but also all Quebec travellers who want to explore the region.»
Air Transat in Latin America and the Caribbean
Air Transat is part of the Transat AT tourism group, so it has a strong presence in the main vacation destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean.
According to the schedule published so far in Cirium, the flight offering in the region for the winter season is composed as follows:
- From Toronto to Samaná, Cayo Coco, Cartagena, Cancún, Holguin, Lima, Guanacaste, La Romana, Montego Bay, Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, Puerto Vallarta, Río Hato, San José-CR, San Juan-PR, Santa Clara, St. Maarten, and Varadero.
- From London (Ontario) to Cancún and Punta Cana.
- From Montreal to Samana, Cayo Coco, Cartagena, Cancún, Cozumel, Fort de France, Havana, Holguin, Lima, Guanacaste, La Romana, Montego Bay, Port Au Prince, Puerto Plata, Pointe-a-Pitre, Punta Cana, Puerto Vallarta, Río Hato, San Salvador, San José-CR, San Juan-PR, Santa Clara, St. Maarten, and Varadero.
- From Moncton to Cancún and Punta Cana.
- From Quebec to Samaná, Cayo Coco, Cancún, Holguín, Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, Puerto Vallarta, Santa Clara, and Varadero.
- From Ottawa to Cayo Coco, Cancún, Puerto Plata, Punta Cana, Santa Clara, and Varadero.
- From Halifax to Cayo Coco, Cancún, Holguín, Punta Cana, and Varadero.
- From Hamilton to Cayo Coco, Cancún, Puerto Plata, and Punta Cana.
This translates to an average of 214 weekly flights between Canada and Latin America, with an offering of 49,863 seats per direction.
