Aéroports de Montréal, Tourism Montréal, the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, the Conseil du patronat du Québec and the Federation of Chambers of Commerce of Québec congratulate Air Canada and Transat SA for having been named Best Airline in North America and Best Leisure Airline in the World, respectively, at the 2019 Skytrax World Airline Awards held at the 53rd International Paris Air Show Le Bourget in France, and for having reached a milestone merger agreement to combine their respective businesses.
"We are proud to see two Montreal-based carriers recognized as amongst the very best in the world. The Skytrax World Airline Awards are global, highly regarded recognitions which are based on passenger satisfaction surveys of more than 21 million global travellers. Over the last five years, the number of passengers at Montreal-Trudeau has increased by nearly 40% and with this combination of two home-grown champions, we expect that growth to even accelerate to reinforce the position of Montreal as a world class hub," said Phillippe Rainville, President, Aéroports de Montréal.
"That Air Canada and Transat have both won these awards several years running is a testament to the attractive product offerings and commitment to customer service excellence from these Montreal champions. We are pleased to see that the combination of Air Canada and Transat will create a Montreal-based global leader in leisure, tourism and travel distribution, offering choices to more destinations than ever from Montréal, more connecting traffic and promoting two-way tourism to and from the city," said Yves Lalumière, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tourisme Montréal and former President of Transat Distribution Canada Inc.
"The Air Canada acquisition of Transat would strengthen one of Montreal's flagship companies, which has to navigate an extremely competitive global landscape. The commitment to maintaining decision-making power regarding Transat's activities in Montreal also bodes well for job creation in the city. This is good news for our economy," said Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal.
"The merger of these two Quebec companies will support job creation and Quebec's economic development. In addition to increasing tourism, which is very important for many of our regions, the merger of Air Canada and Transat will create new business opportunities for the innovation and aerospace strategic sectors," said Yves-Thomas Dorval, President and CEO of the Conseil du patronat du Québec (CPQ).
"We welcome the agreement concluded between these two major companies and the growth potential this combination represents. The possible synergies between the two airlines should ensure a greater access to more international destinations and connection options to passengers coming from or going to regional airports throughout Québec," said Stéphane Forget, President and CEO of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce of Quebec.
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