• 

  Air Transat

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  TS/TSC

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Year Founded:

  1986

  CEO:

  Annick Guérard

  Country:

  Canada

  Hub(s):

  Montréal–Trudeau International Airport

  Region:

  North America

Air Transat has confirmed a deal with aircraft leasing company Air Lease Corporation (ALC) to take three Airbus A321XLR aircraft. The agreement, which was announced on Thursday, also includes the option of a fourth Airbus A321XLR.

The Airbus A321XLR is yet to enter into service, but deliveries of the three confirmed aircraft are planned to start at the end of 2025 and continue through 2026. The fourth Airbus A321XLR would then be delivered in 2027 if the Canadian leisure carrier decides to pursue that option.

The reaction from Air Transat and ALC

President and chief executive officer of Air Transat, Annick Guérard, explained how the Airbus A321XLR would be beneficial to the airline’s long-term plan, saying,

"Air Transat's new leasing agreement with our long-trusted partner ALC represents another key milestone in the renewal and simplification of our fleet undertaken since 2017. Along with A321LRs, XLRs figure as a cornerstone of Transat's 2022-2026 strategic plan. These aircraft can improve the quality of our transatlantic program by increasing the number of frequencies per week with the same capacity, representing a more attractive offer for our customers.”

Over at ALC, executive chairman, Steven Udvar-Házy, also celebrated the news, stating,

“ALC is pleased to announce this lease placement for four new A321XLRs with Air Transat and be the first to introduce the XLR to the Canadian airline. The A321XLR will bring new levels of comfort and excellent service to Air Transat’s passengers, while providing significant enhancements to the airline’s operational efficiency.”

The Airbus A321XLR

The Airbus A321XLR is expected to enter into service in 2024, following a number of certification setbacks. The aircraft has a range of up to 4,700nm (8,700km), which is 15% more than the Airbus A321LR.

When they are delivered, the Airbus A321XLRs will help Air Transat to boost frequencies on existing routes and potentially open up new routes to destinations that are either out of reach for the airline’s Airbus A321LRs or too thin for its 300+ seater Airbus A330s.

Discover more of the latest aviation news with Simple Flying.

Air Transat and the Airbus A321

The Airbus A321XLRs will join Air Transat’s existing fleet of seven Airbus A321ceos and 12 Airbus A321LRs, the most recent of which joined the fleet earlier this summer. The carrier also has a further seven Airbus A321LRs on order.

Other airlines currently operating the Airbus A321LR include TAP Air Portugal and Israel’s Arkia.

Air Transat received its first Airbus A321LR in May 2019, and today flies the aircraft on a variety of North American and Transatlantic routes, including Montreal (YUL) to Los Angeles (LAX) and Quebec City (YQB) to Paris (CDG).

Each aircraft seats a total of 199 passengers in a two-class configuration – 12 in Club Class and 187 in Economy Class. The Airbus A321LRs in Air Transat’s fleet were acquired through agreements with AerCap, the world’s largest aircraft leasing company.

Take a closer look at Air Transat’s fleet.

Have you already flown on one of Air Transat’s Airbus A321LRs? Share your experiences by commenting below.