With less than two weeks to go until the launch of the new Palma-Montreal route, Air Canada‘s outlook could not be more optimistic. Bookings are coming in better than expected in both directions, and the airline is even willing to increase frequencies and extend the operating period if the strong performance anticipated for this season materializes.
The route begins next Wednesday, the 17th, with a flight departing from Montreal and arriving in Palma on the 18th. From then on, the service will continue with three weekly flights, each lasting just over eight hours, until October 24th. “The first plane will arrive full, and the occupancy rate for the return flight is also very high.” In other words, demand from Mallorca is responding well, says the company’s sales director in Spain, Xisca Jiménez.
The route to Palma is part of the company’s expansion plan in Europe, which includes the launch of half a dozen new routes this summer. The Azores, Catania, Nantes, Budapest, and Berlin will also have direct connections with Canada. The Palma route, however, shows the strongest demand, closely followed by Budapest.
The airline was forced to change its plans when it realized that many Canadian travelers had specific requirements: the influx of cyclists wanting to travel to Mallorca with their own bicycles led the company to switch to planes with larger cargo holds to accommodate them. At the same time, since these aircraft also have a larger passenger capacity, the flight frequency was reduced from four to three per week. Thus, although the route was initially planned to be operated with a single-aisle Airbus A321 (XLR), it will ultimately be operated with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, with seating for 260 passengers and a double aisle.
Furthermore, the fact that demand for Mallorca is higher than expected is considered a very positive sign. “All routes are planned with return traffic in mind, although, obviously, the main focus has been on flights from Canada to Mallorca.” However, “the percentage of sales from Balearic customers is proving to be higher than initially anticipated.” This positive performance is generating significant synergies within the sector, and tour operators like TUI are already offering weekly trips to North America.
The fact that Mallorca doesn’t exactly have a great abundance of intercontinental connections is a key factor in this positive reception. Paradoxically, the fact that one of these few alternatives is New York also plays in Canada’s favor. The Trump effect is causing a drastic drop in tourist visits to the U.S. worldwide, and Mallorca is no exception. Canada benefits as a destination because it is perceived as a friendly, stable, and safe alternative. “It’s something we’ve been seeing since last year. The same is true for student air traffic.” Furthermore, with the conflict in the Middle East, European travelers’ attention is shifting to the Western Hemisphere, another significant factor in the rise of tourism in Canada.
The possibility of increasing the number of weekly flights to four or five is on the table, says Jiménez, as well as the possibility of extending the operating period. Looking ahead to next year, “we could start operating earlier and extend the service beyond October 24; it’s a perfectly feasible growth opportunity.” As he points out, “Air Canada is a very flexible airline and we operate based on results.”
Flights from Palma will depart on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, while those from Montreal will depart on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Passengers traveling from Palma will also benefit from seamless connections to other Canadian cities such as Toronto or Vancouver, and to destinations in the US, Mexico, or Colombia such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Cancún, or Bogotá.