MONTREAL, July 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
"These brand-new A321neo LRs will
allow us to continue offering our customers the service and comfort
they are used to, at the best possible price," says Transat
President and CEO Jean-Marc
Eustache
Transat A.T. Inc. is pleased to announce that its Air Transat
business unit has signed an agreement with AerCap for the long-term
(12-year) leasing of 10 Airbus A321neo long-range aircraft. The
aircraft are to be delivered between spring 2019 and fall 2020, and
will replace Transat's Airbus A310s, which will be gradually
retired from the fleet.
The A321neo LRs will be deployed on both Sun destinations and
transatlantic routes. Combined with the Airbus A330s and Boeing
737s, they will serve Transat's entire network in an efficient and
cost-effective way. Air Transat's A321neo LRs will be configured
for 200 seats across both classes: Club and Economy. All seats will
be equipped with individual touchscreens offering an extensive
choice of entertainment for all.
"The A321neo LRs will perfectly complete our fleet of A330s and
B737s," said Jean-Marc Eustache,
President and Chief Executive Officer of Transat. He added, "These
aircraft are also an ideal solution for replacing our A310s. This
agreement with AerCap will allow us to continue offering our
customers the service and comfort they are used to, at the best
possible price. We are very pleased to strengthen our partnership
with the world's leading aircraft lessor, with which we have
enjoyed a fruitful and long-standing association."
Aengus Kelly, Chief Executive Officer, AerCap, stated, "We are
very proud of our long-standing partnership with Air Transat and
are thrilled to play a significant role in the future growth of the
airline. The A321neo LR will significantly improve Air Transat's
fleet with the most efficient, longest-range single-aisle aircraft
that offers an exceptional level of passenger comfort."
Air Transat will be among the first carriers to operate the new
long-range (LR) variant of the Airbus A321neo (new engine option).
The A321neo LR has the longest range of any single-aisle jetliner,
capable of flying up to 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km). It is
ideally suited for Transat's combination of routes. Specifically,
its size gives major flexibility in terms of flight
commercialization and frequency while its fuel efficiency will keep
cost per seat as low as possible, while reducing its carbon
footprint.
Air Transat's fleet currently consists of 31 permanent aircraft
in a unique flexible-fleet model that allows it to deploy more
wide-body aircraft in summer for the high transatlantic season, and
narrow-body aircraft in winter for the high Sun destinations
season.
About Air Transat
A business unit of Transat A.T. Inc., Air Transat is
Canada's number one holiday travel
airline in the Canadian and transatlantic markets. It also offers
domestic and feeder flights out of five Canadian airports. Every
year, it carries nearly 4.5 million passengers to approximately 60
destinations in 26 countries. Based in Montreal, the company employs 3,000 people and
operates a fleet of Boeing narrow-body and Airbus wide-body jets.
In 2017, Air Transat was named the second-best leisure airline in
the world, and the best in North
America in the same category for the sixth consecutive year,
by Skytrax. In recent years, the carrier has earned multiple
distinctions for its efforts to reduce its environmental footprint.
Since 2011, it has consistently been ranked number one in
North America for energy
efficiency, and in the Top 20 worldwide, by the Atmosfair Airline
Index.
About Transat
Transat A.T. Inc. is a leading integrated international tourism
company specializing in holiday travel and active in air
transportation, accommodation, travel packaging and distribution.
It operates mainly in Canada,
Europe, Mexico and the Caribbean, with 26 destination countries, and
distributes products in over 50 countries. Based in Montreal, the company has
5,000 employees. Transat is firmly committed to sustainable
tourism development, as reflected in its multiple corporate
responsibility initiatives over the past 10 years, and was awarded
Travelife Partner status in 2016. The vacation travel companion par
excellence, Transat celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2017 (TSX:
TRZ).
Recent distinctions and awards
Named world's second-best leisure airline at the Skytrax World
Airline Awards (2013-2017) and best in North America in the same category
(2012-2017)
Placed second among airlines
on Forbes magazine's 2017 ranking of Canada's Best Employers
Named one of the Best Corporate Citizens in Canada by the research firm Corporate Knights
(2014-2017; 16th in 2017)
Named the number one carrier in North
America for energy efficiency by Atmosfair (2011-2016)
Ranked among the Top 10 call centres in North America by BenchmarkPortal (2012 and
2015)
Voted Best Leisure/Charter Airline (2008-2017) and Best Tour
Operator (2014-2017), at the Agent's Choice Awards presented by
Baxter Travel Media
Voted Best Airline (2013-2015) and Best Tour Operator (2013,
2015 and 2016), at the Trophées Uni-Vers awards organized by the
Association des Agents de Voyages du Québec
About AerCap
AerCap is the global leader in aircraft leasing with 1,571
owned, managed or on-order aircraft in its portfolio. AerCap has
one of the most attractive order books in the industry. AerCap
serves approximately 200 customers in approximately 80 countries
with comprehensive fleet solutions. AerCap is listed on the New
York Stock Exchange (AER) and has its headquarters in Dublin with offices in Amsterdam, Los
Angeles, Shannon, Fort
Lauderdale, Miami,
Singapore, Shanghai, Abu
Dhabi, Seattle and
Toulouse.
Media:
Transat A.T. Inc.
Odette Trottier
Director, Communications and Corporate Affairs
odette.trottier@transat.com
+1-514-908-8891
