Assahafa.com
Morocco welcomed today the first direct Air Transat flight from Montreal, which landed at Agadir Al Massira Airport with 194 passengers on board, opening the first-ever direct air link between North America and the Souss-Massa region.
Air Transat’s new route will run once a week every Friday, with a flight duration of approximately seven hours and 15 minutes.
The service is expected to strengthen ties between Morocco and Canada, facilitate travel for the large Moroccan community living in Canada, particularly in Montreal, and support Agadir’s growing position as a strategic tourism gateway to Atlantic Morocco.
The new route was officially announced during a promotional event organized by Morocco’s National Tourist Office (ONMT) on June 5 in Montreal ahead of the inaugural flight.
The gathering brought together tourism professionals, tour operators, media representatives, Moroccan officials, and members of the diplomatic community to highlight the strategic importance of the new connection.
Speaking during the event, Morocco’s Ambassador to Canada, Souriya Otmani, stressed the broader significance of the route beyond tourism.
“It will also allow greater mobility of people and promote greater fluidity of trade, cultural and tourist exchanges,” Otmani said.
The ambassador also welcomed Air Transat’s continued investment in Morocco, citing the growing interest of Canadian travelers in the country.
For ONMT officials, the route represents a major opportunity to increase Agadir’s visibility in the Canadian market and attract new categories of visitors.
“Air Transat was the first Canadian airline to be confident that a direct link between Canada and Marrakech would work, and it did; two years later, the same carrier is doing it again with Agadir,” said Siham Fettouhi, ONMT’s Executive Director for the Americas.
Fettouhi described the service as the first direct air connection between North America and Agadir, noting that it aligns with the city’s ambitions to expand its international tourism footprint.
“This direct flight will help support Agadir’s growth objectives as a destination in a market with strong potential,” she added.
Tourism officials point out that the Canadian market has become increasingly important for Morocco. According to ONMT data, more than 174,000 Canadian visitors traveled to Morocco by the end of August 2025, representing a 29% increase compared to the previous year.
Fahd Karrakchou, ONMT’s representative for the Canadian market, expressed confidence in the route’s success.
“We are very confident that this flight will be a success: demand for Morocco is growing stronger and stronger,” he said.
“In 2025, we had 30% more Canadian tourists than expected, and since the beginning of this year, we have seen a further increase of 10%.”
Industry stakeholders also see the new route as an opportunity to diversify the coastal city’s visitor base and position the city as an attractive alternative beach destination for Canadian travelers.
“It is not impossible that Quebecers who traditionally go to Florida and Cuba during the summer will opt for Agadir for a beach vacation when they discover the more than affordable rates in Morocco,” affirmed Leonardo Fiori, Account Manager at Air Transat.
Otmani also linked the route to Morocco’s broader development ambitions and infrastructure investments ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
“Our country is experiencing rapid economic growth, and this flight represents a wise decision for future development in Morocco, with a high-speed train linking the city to Marrakech by 2030,” she concluded.
Source: Morocco word news
