MONTREAL (XOL Africa) — Air Transat will operate its nonstop Montreal-Dakar service year-round, expanding the only direct air link between Canada and sub-Saharan Africa, the airline announced Friday.
The service, launched in June 2026, will continue through the winter with one weekly flight between Montreal and Senegal’s capital. Flights will be operated on Airbus A330 aircraft, the largest aircraft in Air Transat’s fleet.
The airline said the route will help meet demand from Senegal’s diaspora in Quebec while providing travelers with direct access to West Africa.
“This route plays an important role for communities traveling between Canada and Senegal,” Sebastian Ponce, chief revenue officer at Transat, said in a statement. “By maintaining it year-round, we want to offer our customers greater continuity and convenience.”
The Montreal-Dakar service will operate every Friday from Oct. 30, 2026, through March 26, 2027. During the summer season, the airline will offer two weekly flights.
Air Transat is also expanding its regional network with new and extended service to Cancun, Mexico.
Starting Dec. 19, 2026, the airline will launch a weekly nonstop service between Windsor, Ontario, and Cancun. The Saturday flights will operate through April 25, 2027, complementing the airline’s existing Windsor service to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
Air Transat will also extend its Fredericton-Cancun route for the 2026-27 winter season. The weekly Wednesday service will run from Dec. 16, 2026, through April 29, 2027.
“Developing our regional network remains a priority,” Ponce said. “With the addition of Cancun from Windsor and the extension of our season in Fredericton, we continue to offer customers in these regions direct access to popular sun destinations while strengthening our presence in markets where we see growth potential.”
Air Transat, founded in Montreal in 1987, operates international routes to destinations primarily in Europe, the Caribbean, South America and North Africa, as well as Africa. It is a subsidiary of Transat A.T. Inc., which is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
