Take off for Scotland's first ever flight to Quebec
The new weekly flight, which commences on Monday 30th May and runs until 2nd October, connects the province of Quebec to Scotland for the first time.
Montreal is Canada’s second largest city with a population of just over 3.5 million people. Its French Canadian culture makes it one of the liveliest cities in Canada, combining old-world charm with contemporary North American energy to create a unique atmosphere.
The new flight starts just in time to connect Scottish travellers with the Montreal Grand Prix (10th – 12th June), Montreal International Jazz Festival (29th June- 9th July) and 'Just for Laughs' Comedy Festival (13th - 31st July) along with a host of excellent visitor attractions in the city itself.
A trip to Montreal also provides an excellent opportunity to visit the whole province not least the provincial capital, historic Quebec City.
Lesley Kane, Air Transat’s UK & Ireland Sales Director, says: “This is an exciting link for Air Transat as we establish the first ever air link between Scotland and Quebec. Montreal is home to Air Transat and to connect directly to our founding city is an excellent opportunity for developing new leisure tourism opportunities.
“Scotland and Quebec have deep historic links. Indeed, the first British Governor of Quebec was a Scot, James Murray and McGill University founded from the estate of James McGill - a merchant and politician who emigrated from Glasgow.”
To celebrate the new service, Air Transat and Glasgow Airport have teamed up to offer passengers travelling on the first flight some traditional Quebecois dishes such as poutine and BeaverTails, Canadian Club cocktails, accompanied by a tribute band for Celine Dion – Quebec’s best-known singer.
Francois Bourienne, Commercial Director at Glasgow Airport, said: “The addition of Montreal to Glasgow Airport's line up of Canadian destinations re-affirms the airport as Scotland's leading long haul gateway. We are especially proud that this is the first time Scotland will have had a direct link to Canada's second largest city - Montreal.”
Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive at VisitScotland said: “This exciting new Air Transat service from Montreal to Glasgow will give visitors from across Quebec the fantastic opportunity to fly directly to Scotland.
“Scotland is more connected than ever before through transport and digital channels - giving it a louder voice within key markets - and this new route will further strengthen its international reach in North America.
“With 4.7 million Canadians having Scottish ancestry, including around 100,000 in the Montreal area, this new service unlocks the potential for many more visitors with Scots links to discover the Spirit of Scotland in their ancestral home.”
Minister for Transport and the Islands Humza Yousaf said: “I’m delighted to see this exciting new service between Glasgow and Montreal take off, helping to strengthen the important cultural and historic bonds between Scotland and Canada.
“It will help Scottish businesses by improving their access to international markets and it will also boost our tourism industry by making it even easier for travellers from Canada to get a taste of the fantastic visitor experiences on offer in Scotland.
“I wish Glasgow Airport and Air Transat every success with this new service.”
Councillor Frank McAveety, Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming the arrival of Air Transat’s inaugural flight, which will encourage visitors from Montréal and across Quebec to fly directly to Glasgow; representing a historic first for the city and Scotland.
“More than 40,000 Canadian tourists already visit Glasgow every year, boosting our economy by some £14 million. Canada is our fifth largest international market and there will undoubtedly be strong demand for this service, which has the potential to deliver considerable inbound leisure and business tourism as well as presenting us with the opportunity to increase French Canadian visitors to the city.
“This is another great example of Glasgow’s efforts to continually grow its air links and connect the city to the global marketplace.”
Air Transat is offering a choice of three routes from Glasgow this summer. In addition to the new service to Montreal, Scottish passengers have a choice of five weekly flights from Glasgow to Toronto, along with a weekly direct service to Vancouver.
