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Air Transat celebrates 20th anniversary by not straying from winning formula

Nov. 15, 2007, Montreal, Que. -Air Transat is celebrating 20 years as a Canadian airline on Wednesday, a survivor in an industry that is littered with fallen rivals.


November 15, 2007  By Carey Fredericks

Nov. 15, 2007, Montreal, Que. -Air Transat is celebrating 20 years as a Canadian
charter airline on Wednesday, a survivor in an industry that is
littered with fallen rivals.

The subsidiary of Transat A.T. (TSX:TRZ.B) has proven to be a
rare Canadian aviation success story by sticking to what it knows
best, said president and CEO Allen Graham.

“Yes we've grown and taken on new destinations and changed our
fleet types and added more airplanes, but our mission in terms of
serving the vacationers of our country have not changed,'' he said
in an interview from Miami.

It offers seasonal flights to sun destinations in the winter and
Europe in the summer.

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Unlike Wardair, an early pioneer in the chartered airline
business, Air Transat has never ventured into the challenging market
of scheduled service.

Other failed charter airlines include Nationair, Canada 3000,
Royal Aviation and Worldways Canada.

Air Transat has thrived by controlling costs and offering new
services for customers.

Starting in June, it plans to give passengers more leg room by
adding two inches in seat pitch to match the industry standard.

It is also looking to upgrade its fleet of aircraft in 2011 or
2012 with more modern planes that will enable the addition of new
destinations, possibly in Asia or South America.

Transat shares lost 33 cents to $40.17 in trading Tuesday
afternoon.

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