Air Transat Adds Montreal–Dakar & Montreal–Reykjavík For Summer 2026
Air Transat is widening its Summer 2026 map with two eye-catching nonstops from Montréal–Trudeau (YUL): Dakar–Blaise Diagne (DSS) in Senegal and Reykjavík–Keflavík (KEF) in Iceland. The leisure specialist—voted Skytrax’s 2025 World’s Best Leisure Airline—will also add capacity on its young Montréal–València (VLC) route after a strong first season.
Montréal (YUL)–Dakar (DSS): Canada’s First Nonstop To Sub-Saharan Africa
Launching June 17, 2026 and running through October 21, 2026, the YUL–DSS link will operate twice weekly (Wednesdays and Saturdays). Beyond the historic “first,” the routing squarely targets Québec’s Senegalese diaspora while opening a simpler path to West Africa’s beaches and culture without a European connection. Aircraft type has not been announced; Transat points to the flexibility of its Airbus fleet to size the market.
Montréal (YUL)–Reykjavík (KEF): A Summer Gateway To Iceland
Beginning June 16, 2026 and ending September 27, 2026, Transat will fly up to twice weekly (Tuesdays and Sundays) between YUL and KEF. Timed for the peak season, the service taps mounting Canadian demand for Iceland’s outdoors—glacier hikes, hot springs, and long-daylight road trips—while giving Transat another short-haul transatlantic leisure option from its home base.
More Lift To Spain: Montréal (YUL)–València (VLC)
After a promising debut in Summer 2025, Transat will add an extra weekly frequency from June 16 to September 8, 2026, bringing the seasonal YUL–VLC service to twice weekly (Tuesdays and Fridays). The move aligns with growing Canadian interest in Spain’s Mediterranean cities beyond the usual Barcelona/Madrid duo.
How It Fits Transat’s Strategy
These additions highlight Transat’s playbook: lean into niche, leisure-rich corridors with nonstop convenience and tailor capacity using a common Airbus fleet. Dakar (DSS) delivers high VFR (visiting friends and relatives) utility plus emerging tourism; Reykjavík (KEF) broadens the carrier’s portfolio of “big-experience, short-flight” summer getaways; and València (VLC) scales where early performance justifies more seats. With 45+ international destinations already slated for Summer 2026—and more expected—Transat continues to leverage YUL as a launchpad for seasonal point-to-point demand.
What We Know Now (And What’s TBA)
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Dates & Days: YUL–DSS (Wed/Sat, Jun 17–Oct 21, 2026); YUL–KEF (Tue/Sun, Jun 16–Sep 27, 2026); YUL–VLC adds a second weekly flight (Tue/Fri, Jun 16–Sep 8, 2026).
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Aircraft: TBA; Transat references the “flexibility of its Airbus fleet,” allowing right-sizing by route and period.
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Market focus: A mix of VFR (DSS), adventure/leisure (KEF), and city-sun seekers (VLC), consistent with Transat’s leisure DNA.
Bottom Line
Air Transat is sharpening its summer proposition from Montréal with new nonstops to Dakar (DSS) and Reykjavík (KEF) and more capacity to València (VLC). The trio of moves blends diaspora ties, high-season adventure travel, and proven Mediterranean demand—classic Transat territory—while keeping aircraft choices flexible to match each market’s curve.
