Situation in Haiti: Transat repatriates its travellers

MONTREAL, Feb. 16, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - Transat has announced that it is repatriating its 113 travellers today from the Royal Decameron Indigo Beach Resort & Spa in Haiti. Air Transat Flight TS667, an Airbus A310 of 250 seats, is scheduled to depart from Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince at 4:30 p.m. and is expected to land at the Montréal-Trudeau airport at 8:50 p.m. It is also carrying passengers with a ticket for a later travel date, as well as customers from another airline, and Canadian residents wishing to return home.

"Our clients, as well as their loved ones, have experienced a trying week, under a lot of uncertainty," says Annick Guérard, Chief Operating Officer at Transat, who was on site in Port-au-Prince to accompany the travellers back home with Jean-François Lemay, President of Air Transat. "Since the rise of tensions in Haiti about a week ago, our teams have been mobilized and working hard to return our clients home safely, and as quickly as possible. In Haiti, Transat's representative also remained at the hotel 24/7 throughout the week to keep our passengers informed of the situation as it unfolded. We are relieved that these travellers are on their way to Canada, but we remain concerned about the current difficult situation in Haiti."

Late afternoon on February 15, travellers were informed that they would be leaving the Royal Decameron Indigo Beach Resort & Spa, located on the Côte des Arcadins, by helicopter the following day. And, at around 9 a.m. on February 16, the first passengers were transported to the airport, and rotations continued for a few hours. The evacuation was orchestrated by Transat, in collaboration with the local authorities, the Canadian Embassy in Haiti and the Canadian government, to ensure the safety of the passengers. 

Until further notice, Air Transat will continue to operate two flights a week to and from Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, on Wednesdays and Sundays.

About Transat
Transat A.T. Inc. is a leading integrated international tourism company specializing in holiday travel. It offers vacation packages, hotel stays and air travel under the Transat and Air Transat brands to some 60 destinations in more than 25 countries in the Americas and Europe. Based in Montreal, the company has 5,000 employees. Transat is firmly committed to sustainable tourism development, as reflected in its multiple corporate responsibility initiatives over the past 12 years, and was awarded Travelife certification in 2018 (TSX: TRZ).

Recent distinctions and awards (2017-2018)

• Named World's Best Leisure Airline at the Skytrax World Airline Awards
• Voted Best Leisure/Charter Airline and Best Tour Operator at the Agents' Choice Awards presented by Baxter Travel Media
• Voted Best Airline and Best Tour Operator at the Trophées Uni-Vers awards organized by the Association des Agents de Voyages du Québec
• Named one of the Best Corporate Citizens in Canada by Corporate Knights
• Ranked among Canada's Best Employers and first among airlines on Forbes magazine's list

SOURCE Transat A.T. Inc.