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Air Transat is expanding its international network with the launch of a new year-round nonstop route between Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) and Istanbul Airport (IST) to further strengthen connectivity between Canada and Türkiye. The new flights will begin on October 29th, and operate 2x weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays using the airline’s Airbus A330 fleet. The route marks Air Transat’s second destination in Türkiye and builds on the success of its Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) to/from Istanbul Airport (IST), which launched in 2025.
According to the airline, strong demand from Canadian travelers for both Türkiye and onward connections across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa helped drive the decision to add Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) service. The new route also aligns with Air Transat’s strategy of focusing on high-potential markets while maintaining disciplined capacity growth.
With the addition of Montreal, Air Transat will offer up to 5x weekly flights to Istanbul when combined with its existing 3x weekly service from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ). The expanded schedule will provide travelers across Canada—including those connecting from Calgary International Airport (YYC), Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ), Ottawa International Airport (YOW), Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB), Vancouver International Airport (YVR), and Winnipeg Richardson International Airport (YWG) with greater access to one of the world’s most important aviation hubs.
Istanbul has become an increasingly popular destination for Canadian travelers thanks to its rich history, vibrant culture, renowned cuisine, and strategic location bridging Europe and Asia. The city also serves as a major gateway for passengers connecting to destinations throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, Central Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
The new Montreal service further enhances Air Transat’s long-haul network and reinforces the carrier’s commitment to offering unique international destinations from Canada. The airline, which has been named the World’s Best Leisure Airline by Skytrax seven times, says tickets for the new route are now available for booking.
Sebastian Ponce, Chief Revenue Officer at Transat, said:
Expanding our program from our hometown is great news for Quebecers and the local business community. Through our partnership with Turkish Airlines, Istanbul becomes much more than a destination, it’s a gateway to one of the most diverse global networks, spanning the Middle East, Asia, Africa and the Caucasus. Our customers can book a single ticket to dozens of destinations beyond Istanbul, all while enjoying Air Transat’s quality of service.”
Anthony’s Take: The launch represents another step in Air Transat’s continued international expansion as demand for leisure and visiting-friends-and-relatives travel remains strong across key global markets.
(Featured Image Credit: Air Transat.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
