Air Transat obtains codeshare licences for Lebanon, India, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh

In a series of decisions published on October 29 and 30, the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) indicated that Air Transat has applied for licences to operate flights (on a codeshare basis) from Canada to Lebanon, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

And, in a series of determinations, the CTA has agreed to issue the four licences requested by the Montreal-based airline.

The CTA states that the governments of India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh have agreements with the Government of Canada.

Canada’s Air Transport Agreement with India dates back to July 1982; an agreement with Sri Lanka is set out in a memorandum signed on Dec. 5, 2016; and one between Canada and Bangladesh is included in a memorandum signed on August 20, 2013.

In all three cases, the CTA is satisfied that Air Transat meets all applicable requirements of the Canada Transportation Act, as well as other relevant conditions with the countries.

The licences are subject to the usual conditions, including those prescribed by Canada’s Air Transportation Regulations.

A “temporary” licence for Lebanon

The deal is somewhat different with Lebanon. For this country, Air Transat applied for a “temporary” licence for operating scheduled codeshare service.

This is because, in this case, the request is “extrabilateral,” writes the CTA, as no agreement or arrangement between Canada and Lebanon is currently in force.

In this case, the CTA, under the authorization of Canada’s Minister of Transport, can issue a licence on a temporary basis.

Air Transat meets all the requirements, including holding the regulatory liability insurance policy, the CTA writes.

The licence issued to Air Transat for Lebanon is valid until June 30, 2027.

PAX contacted Air Transat to learn more about its possible plans for Lebanon, India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, but the airline declined to comment.

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