Manises Overtakes Alicante-Elche Airport, Securing First Direct Flight to Canada from the Region

Manises has outpaced Alicante-Elche airport and the Generalitat has chosen Valencia to connect the region with Canada for the first time via a non-stop flight. This will be a connection to the city of Montreal. It marks the second direct link to North America from Valencia, which previously had flights to New York between 2009 and 2011.

This announcement was made on Wednesday at 6 PM local time in Montreal by the Tourism Minister, Marián Cano, during an event held at the Hotel Monville. Air Transat, a Canadian airline, will operate the new Valencia-Montreal connection, starting on June 20 and running until October 4, with the possibility of extending it into the winter season.

The announcement follows the Generalitat's institutional visit to the United States, where they held meetings with North American tour operators and a significant work meeting in Atlanta with Delta Airlines to explore the feasibility of the future Manises-New York connection.

Finally, the first direct connection to North America in over a decade will be to Canada, and Valencia airport will host it, while Alicante continues to explore routes with the United States, a market that grows year by year. In fact, both the Alicante Provincial Council and the Generalitat have repeatedly expressed their intention to link the Costa Blanca with North America, even holding work meetings at international fairs, such as the recent edition of Fitur.

However, Manises has taken the lead and has been the Consell's choice to link the region with a growing market like North America. Thus, Air Transat will connect Montreal and Valencia once a week with flights on Fridays in the region's first direct connection with Canada. The departure from Canada will be at night, arriving in Valencia on Saturday morning, while the return flight will leave on Saturday midday, arriving in Montreal the same day.

The new connection was presented at an event in Montreal attended by the Spanish ambassador to Canada, Alfredo Martínez Serrano; the Vice President of Montreal International Airport, Karl Brochu; Air Transat's Chief Revenue Officer, Sebastián Ponce; and the representative of the Montreal metropolitan area, Bernard Cotê.

Marián Cano described this new route as a "direct gateway to the Mediterranean" and positively assessed the impact the connection will have on consolidating the region as an international reference destination. "This weekly flight not only strengthens the international connectivity of the Valencian Community but also consolidates its position as a cultural, gastronomic, and experiential destination," Cano stated.

The head of Tourism congratulated Air Transat for "choosing a destination like the city of Valencia to start this air connection," and acknowledged the efforts of the Visit Valencia Foundation and Turespaña, highlighting the "fundamental role" both entities have played in making this connection a reality.

Additionally, the Generalitat will hold meetings with Canadian tour operators to strengthen the tourism offer. The minister and her team plan to meet with tour operators Tour Chanteclerc and Vacances Preference.