Air Transat is entering the Brazil market with new nonstop service to Rio de Janeiro from both Toronto and Montreal for the winter 2025-26 season.
The airline will operate 2X-weekly flights from Toronto Pearson to Rio de Janeiro Galeão on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and once-weekly from Montreal-Trudeau (YUL) on Thursdays, beginning in February 2026. All flights will be operated using Airbus A330 aircraft.
Air Canada is currently the only Canadian carrier with direct service to Brazil, operating year-round flights to São Paulo from Toronto and Montreal, and launching Toronto–Rio de Janeiro service in December 2025. Montreal–Rio de Janeiro, however, remains unserved until Air Transat’s entry.
According to Sabre Market Intelligence, Canada–Brazil traffic reached 352,000 O&D passengers in 2024, down 1.6% from 2023. Toronto–São Paulo was the largest city pair last year, followed by Vancouver–São Paulo and Montreal–São Paulo.
The addition of Brazil comes as part of a broader network expansion, with Air Transat launching 14 new routes this winter and increasing frequencies across both transatlantic and southern leisure markets. The growth marks a roughly 6% increase in capacity year over year.
“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 Chief Revenue Officer Sebastian Ponce says.
In addition to Brazil, Air Transat is adding new routes this winter to Guadalajara, Valencia, Madrid, Bordeaux and Istanbul, among others. The carrier will also operate seasonal southern flights from smaller markets including Charlottetown, Windsor and Fredericton.
The flights to Rio de Janeiro, the host destination for Routes Americas 2026, are subject to final regulatory approval from both Brazilian and Canadian authorities.
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