Going Head-to-Head with Air Canada, Air Transat Announces Rio de Janeiro

Air Transat today announced service to Rio de Janeiro from both Toronto and Montreal.

Service from Toronto begins 04FEB, 2026, and from Montreal on 05FEB, 2026. The Toronto route will operate twice weekly, while Montreal will operate once weekly. Both gateways will offer Airbus A330 service with 345 seats.

The announcement comes on the heels of Air Canada’s significant expansion into Latin America, including three weekly flights from Toronto to Rio de Janeiro launching 04DEC which will be operated by Boeing 787 -9 with a capacity of 298 seats.

The combined increase in seat supply to Brazil from eastern Canada this winter amounts to just under 2,000 seats per week. Although it’s important to note Transat service has been planned in coordination with Brazilian and Canadian authorities and remains subject to the required regulatory approvals.

Such approvals tend to be perfunctory so the question arises as to whether there is sufficient demand to support the marked growth in capacity this winter while Canada’s economy is under pressure from increased US tariffs.

Air Transat’s service to Rio de Janeiro is part of the carrier’s winter product which includes 14 new routes from its Canadian gateways, with several new destinations and the extension of transatlantic service. From Montreal, in addition to Rio, the airline is offering non-stop service to Guadalajara, Valencia, Bordeaux and Madrid. From Toronto, the lineup includes Georgetown (Guyana), Medellín, and Istanbul in partnership with Turkish Airlines, in addition to Rio de Janeiro.

"This enriched winter schedule marks an important milestone in the evolution of our network," said Sebastian Ponce, Transat's Chief Revenue Officer. "By targeting markets we have never served before, we are pursuing a clear diversification strategy toward destinations that Canadians are eager to explore, supported by growing connectivity through our expanding network of partners."

Air Transat's winter south program offers departures not only from major hubs, but also from Quebec City and new Canadian cities such as Windsor, Fredericton and Charlottetown.

New for Winter 2025-2026:

Air Transat is also strengthening its overall winter offering by increasing capacity and adding frequencies on several existing routes to the South and across the Atlantic, giving even more flexibility to its clients. Compared to last winter, this year's schedule represents a capacity increase of approximately 6%.

Expanded transatlantic program:

Expanded South program: