Air Transat, recently named the World's Best Leisure Airline at the 2025 Skytrax World Airline Awards, has inaugurated its first non-stop flights to Rio de Janeiro from Toronto and Montreal. The inaugural flights, TS272 from Toronto Pearson International Airport and TS274 from Montréal-Trudeau International Airport, took off on 4 and 5 February, respectively. This new service positions Air Transat as the only airline offering a direct connection from Montreal to Rio de Janeiro.
The Toronto-Rio de Janeiro route will operate twice weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays until 10 June 2026, whilst the Montreal-Rio de Janeiro service will run once weekly on Thursdays until 4 June 2026. Both routes will be served by the Airbus A330, ensuring a comfortable journey for passengers.
Sebastian Ponce, Transat's Chief Revenue Officer, stated, "Inaugurating our non-stop service to Rio de Janeiro from both Toronto and Montreal is a bold step in expanding our South American offering." This initiative aims to facilitate cultural exchanges and reunite families across continents.
The demand for travel between Canada and Rio de Janeiro is growing, with 44,000 passengers annually, nearly half of whom travel via Toronto Pearson. Kurush Minocher, Chief Commercial Officer at Toronto Pearson, noted that the new service "responds directly to this momentum."
Karl Brochu, Vice President of Airport Operations and Air Service Development at ADM, highlighted the route's potential to boost tourism and strengthen economic ties between Quebec and Brazil. Additionally, Air Transat's partnership with GOL Airlines allows passengers to connect seamlessly to other Brazilian destinations from Galeão International Airport.
Founded in Montreal in 1987, Air Transat continues to expand its international reach, offering flights to Europe, the Caribbean, South America, and North Africa
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