Summary
- Air Canada is expanding its summer 2024 routes, including a brand new year-round route from Montreal to Madrid.
- It’ll be the one airline operating the route year-round.
- In line with data from Cirium, Air Canada has the biggest market share within the Spain-Canada market.
Air Canada has big plans for summer 2024, including a brand new year-round route from Montreal to Madrid and several other other expansions to Europe and Asia. Next summer, the airline also plans to operate 100% of its peak summer 2019 transatlantic capability.
Adding a brand new Spain route
Last week, Air Canada announced it will launch a brand new route from Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport to Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport. This will probably be the primary time Air Canada will connect the 2 cities, but Air Transat has flown the route since May 2006. Notably, Air Canada will probably be the one airline operating the route year-round.
Photo: Vytautas Kielaitis | Shutterstock
In line with data from Cirium, Air Canada’s flights will launch on May 1, 2024, and can operate 4 times weekly. The Canadian airline will deploy the smallest variant of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the 787-8, with 255 seats, on the three,460-mile route. The outbound flight will operate as AC834, departing Montreal at 20:30 and arriving in Madrid at 09:40 +1. The return leg, with the primary flight on May 2, will leave Madrid at 13:15 and arrive in Montreal at 15:20.
Click here for Montreal – Madrid flights.
Mark Galardo, Executive Vice President of Revenue and Network Planning at Air Canada said,
“Air Canada saw an incredible rebound in international flying this past summer, particularly on the trans-Atlantic, and we expect Europe will remain popular next 12 months. In anticipation of this, we’re expanding our flying schedule to supply customers more alternative and suppleness as they start to plan their 2024 holidays.”
Europe increases for summer 2024
Along with launching the Montreal – Madrid route, Air Canada announced the expansion of several routes to Europe. Air Canada is increasing its services from Montreal to Athens, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Casablanca, Copenhagen, Lisbon, Milan, Nice, Rome, and Venice. From Toronto, services will increase to Athens, Brussels, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London, Manchester, Rome, and Venice.
From Montreal, Amsterdam will probably be served every day from March 30, 2024, with the Boeing 787-8 and 787-9. Copenhagen flights will begin earlier next 12 months, from May 2, also on the 787-8 and 787-9. Milan could have every day service from June to September on the Airbus A330-300. Rome could have nine weekly flights on the Boeing 777-300ER and 787-9 between May and September.
Click here for Montreal – Rome flights.
Athens flights from Toronto will increase to every day from May to October, using the Boeing 777-300ER. Brussels could have an earlier restart on May 1, 2024, and Barcelona will probably be served every day from May to October. Air Canada will fly to Copenhagen every day between May and September, deploying the 787-8 and -9. London, some of the vital cities for international travel, could have 4 every day flights from Air Canada. Farther south, Lisbon, the Portuguese capital, could have every day service from April to October.
Analyzing the Spain – Canada market in May 2024
In line with data from Cirium, only three carriers have scheduled flights between the 2 countries next May: Air Canada, Air Transat, and WestJet. Between the three, there are 238 flights in each directions. Air Canada has the biggest market share with 142 flights, Air Transat has 80, and WestJet has 16.
Though Air Canada has the biggest market share, it only has three routes to Spain, two from Toronto and one from Montreal. From Toronto, the Canadian flag carrier will fly to Madrid and Barcelona and from Montreal to Madrid. Air Transat has 4 routes, three from Montreal and one from Toronto. Air Transat will fly from Montreal to Barcelona, Madrid, and Malaga and from Toronto to Barcelona. WestJet will fly from Calgary to Barcelona.