Following the recent inauguration of the Montreal-Agadir route in Morocco, Air Transat officially launched its new direct service between Montreal and Dakar on Thursday, June 18, marking a new step in the development of its African network.
Air Transat’s first direct flight between Montreal and Dakar landed at Blaise Diagne International Airport (AIBD), marking the opening of a new route between Canada and West Africa.
Operated on board an Airbus A321LR, this seasonal service will operate twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, until October 21, 2026.
It is the first direct route operated by a Canadian Airline between Canada and West Africa.
At the inaugural flight’s arrival in Diass, several Senegalese and Canadian officials highlighted the importance of this new air connection.
For Bamba Sissoko, Transat’s Chief Information Officer, this launch marks a significant milestone in relations between the two countries.
“This morning, we are not just celebrating a new flight, we are celebrating a historic moment,” he stated, adding that this connection meets “a real need” and helps bring communities between Senegal and Canada closer together.
The Canadian Ambassador to Senegal, Marcel Lebleu, described it as “an investment in the future,” emphasising the commitment of the two countries to strengthening their ties through this new service.
Speaking at the ceremony, Elisa Valentin, Assistant Deputy Minister for European, Indo-Pacific, and Institutional Affairs at Quebec’s Ministry of International Relations and La Francophonie, stated that this connection represents “more than just a route.”
According to her, this direct flight is expected to foster closer economic, educational and cultural ties between Quebec and Senegal.
Askin Demir, CEO of Limak-AIBD-Summa (LAS), the company that manages Blaise Diagne International Airport, described this service as a “historic first” between Canada and sub-Saharan Africa.
He indicated that this new route could foster trade, academic exchanges and tourism, while strengthening Dakar’s role as a regional connectivity hub.
For Adama Ndiaye, CEO of the Senegalese Tourism Promotion Agency (ASPT), the opening of this route could also contribute to the growth of the tourism sector.
“The more air connectivity there is, the more visitors there will be,” he stated, calling for the long-term establishment of this service in the air travel landscape between the two countries.
The inaugural flight also carried several young Senegalese involved in training and exchange programmes in Canada, particularly in the fields of the environment and the conservation of marine and coastal ecosystems.
Their participation illustrates the academic and human dimension associated with this new connection. The inauguration of this route also comes in the context of the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
Several speakers noted that this direct connection could facilitate travel related to sporting, economic, cultural, and academic activities between the two countries.
Beyond air transport, this new link is presented as a tool to facilitate the mobility of students, business operators, tourists and diasporas living on both sides of the Atlantic.
This inauguration in Dakar follows the airline’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its connections to Africa, after the recent launch of the Montreal-Agadir route in Morocco.
SS/ac/Sf/fss/gik/APA