Transat A.T. Inc. today announced plans to gradually suspend Air Transat flights until April 30, stating sales for departures until April 30 are suspended immediately from and to most destinations in Europe and the United States.
Repatriation flights will still be operated during the next two weeks, states the Montreal-based airline, in order to bring Transat customers back to their home country. Transat explains, that in allow as many repatriations as possible, sales will remain temporarily open in both directions between Montreal and Paris and Lisbon and between Toronto and London and Lisbon.
Transat A.T. plans to announce a specific date for a full halt to operations in the near future.
The company continues to explain sales are halted immediately from and to the Caribbean and Mexico, even as, again, flights continue for a few more days in order to repatriate Transat customers to Canada.
Transat will not charge extra booking fees for flight changes.
“This is an unprecedented situation, beyond our control, which is forcing us to briefly suspend all of our flights to contribute to the effort to fight the pandemic, protect our customers and employees and safeguard the company,” stated Jean-Marc Eustache, president and CEO, Transat. “We are doing everything we can so that this has as little impact as possible on our employees and customers, whom we make sure to bring back home.”
Transat notes it will begin measures to reduce staffing in the coming days, which will include temporary layoffs and reduction of work time or salary. The company states this will affect a significant portion of its employees and that its senior executives and members of the board of directors are also taking pay cuts.
