Airlines

Transat marks the 25th anniversary of its inaugural flight

Air Transat is marked the 25th anniversary of its inaugural flight yesterday. It was back on Nov. 14, 1987, that an Air Transat Lockheed L-1011 with 360 passengers aboard took off from Montreal for Acapulco. “We have come an impressive distance in 25 years and I am extremely proud of the work and dedication of every one of our employees, which has enabled Air Transat to reach the peak of its industry and be recognized as an airline with exceptional standards of quality,”said Allen B. Graham, president of Transat Canada and president and chief executive officer of Air Transat. “I also want to thank the millions of passengers who have been loyal to us and who, year after year, place their trust in us when the time comes for them to plan their holiday travel and overseas trips.”Since 1987, Air Transat has carried nearly 50 million passengers to more than 60 destinations. The only Canadian airline offering direct transatlantic flights to over 30 European cities, Air Transat is also known for its expansive array of Sun destinations. Last May, in its ongoing effort to continually improve its service and provide customers with superior comfort and flight experience, Air Transat unveiled its all-new, entirely redesigned cabin interior. Thanks to an investment of nearly $4 million per aircraft, “the holiday now begins as soon as the passenger boards the plane.”Air Transat now has some 450 pilots, 1,800 flight attendants, 300 maintenance employees and 150 office staff. The airline makes about 8,000 flights annually out of 19 Canadian cities.