Air Transat has removed its seasonal service from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) to Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) from its summer 2027 schedule. The cancellation ends a transatlantic route that the Canadian leisure carrier launched just two years ago. The airline had planned to operate the approximately nine-hour Airbus A321LR service up to three times weekly.
The decision leaves Air Transat without any German destinations in its network. It also eliminates the only nonstop connection between Toronto and the German capital. However, the airline is simultaneously adding five European routes for the same period. This shift comes as the carrier prepares for the arrival of its first Airbus A321XLR aircraft.
Retreat from the German Market
Withdrawing from Berlin marks another step back for Air Transat in Germany. The carrier only returned to the German market in June 2025 after an 11-year absence. Previously, the airline served several German cities, including Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, and Munich. It discontinued its last Frankfurt services in 2014.
Scheduled departures on the Toronto-Berlin route doubled in 2026. According to AeroRoutes, the service was scheduled to resume on May 1, 2027, with twice-weekly flights. Frequency was set to increase to three times weekly between June 14 and October 2. The approximately 4,050-mile route was allocated the A321LR, with a westbound block time of eight hours and 50 minutes.
Berlin retains a Canadian nonstop connection, as Air Canada restored flights from Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) earlier this year. Toronto passengers, however, no longer have a direct option to the city.
Network Shifts and New Destinations
The cancellation is part of wider changes to Air Transat’s European network. Flights from Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW) to London Gatwick Airport (LGW) and from Montreal to Reykjavík’s Keflavik International Airport (KEF) have also disappeared from the 2027 schedule. The Reykjavík route only began operating in 2026, making its withdrawal particularly notable.
These three cuts highlight the challenges of sustaining relatively thin transatlantic markets, even with smaller aircraft. Air Transat’s existing narrowbody network shows how extensively it already relies on long-range single-aisle planes. According to Cirium, an aviation analytics company, 32 transatlantic routes will operate with the A321LR through October 2027. Montreal accounts for 19 of these routes, Toronto 11, and Quebec City two.
The airline has announced five additional European routes beginning in June 2027. Geneva and Birmingham represent entirely new destinations. Lyon, Barcelona, and Faro expand service from existing Canadian gateways. Quebec City’s European network will consequently reach five destinations, including Paris, Marseille, and Nantes.
These additions underline Air Transat’s growing emphasis on underserved regional markets. The strategy avoids direct competition between major international hubs. Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN) becomes Quebec City’s first nonstop Spanish destination. Birmingham International Airport (BHX) offers Toronto passengers a fourth UK gateway. This approach supports the carrier’s partnership with Porter Airlines, which provides connecting traffic from elsewhere in Canada.
Future Fleet and Strategy
Air Transat is preparing to introduce four Airbus A321XLRs, leased from Air Lease Corporation. Deliveries are scheduled across 2027 and 2028. The aircraft offers a maximum range of approximately 4,700 nautical miles, a 17% increase over its current narrowbodies.
The XLR could replace larger A330s on selected routes. This would improve capacity flexibility and potentially extend seasonal services. The opportunity extends beyond flying farther. Airbus markets the XLR as an aircraft capable of opening thinner long-haul markets while reducing the financial risks associated with widebody capacity.
Air Transat could pursue an approach comparable to United Airlines’ narrowbody transatlantic strategy. This involves developing routes where the novelty of the destination and the lack of competition make it economically viable. Existing services to Agadir, Nantes, and Porto demonstrate that this philosophy is already underway.
Future XLR destinations might include Mediterranean leisure markets such as Ibiza, or more distant cities like Dubrovnik or Catania. No such routes have been announced yet. The carrier’s next European additions could be considerably more interesting than another major capital.
Source: Simple Flying
