Air Transat returns to Fredericton
Airline suspended winter service to sunny destinations at outset of pandemic in April 2020
A small airline known for its flights to southern destinations during the winter that suspended that service at the Fredericton International Airport five years ago is coming back to town.
The Fredericton International Airport Authority announced Thursday that Air Transat is returning to operations at the Fredericton airport, with direct service to Cancun beginning in winter 2026.
The authority broke the news at its annual general meeting Thursday.
“Sun destinations have been extremely popular, with many flights selling out,” Jacques Fournier, the authority’s director of commercial development, said in a news release.
“This Air Transat service to Cancun is a welcome addition, bringing even more choice for travellers flying through YFC.”
Air Transat was among the small carriers that suspended service at the Fredericton airport early in the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
In the release, the airport authority touted its efforts and those of partners toward recovering from the pandemic setbacks and developing new and future growth at the transportation facility.
It reported that Air Canada, Sunwing and Porter Airlines all increased service in 2024, and that WestJet launched a new seasonal service to Calgary, which was met with high demand. The authority, in its release, said that growth has continued this year, with five daily flights on Air Canada, more flights to Calgary on WestJet, and an extension by Porter this season for its second daily service to Ottawa.
“This is a team effort. We have a close relationship with our airlines, tourism departments at both the province and the City of Fredericton, the Chamber of Commerce, and so many more – this is a community that works together, and the results speak for themselves,” said authority president and CEO Johanne Gallant.
The organization is also undertaking two major capital projects to foster more growth: a runway extension this year to better accommodate the larger aircraft now flying into Fredericton, and a resurfacing project for the other runway next year.
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