Porto, Portugal, June 4, 2025 (Lusa) - Air Canada will begin flying between Porto and Montreal three times a week on Thursday and may extend the service beyond the high season, according to the sales director for the European region.

Speaking to Lusa, Margaret Skinner said that flights will take place “every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday afternoon” until September 25.

When asked about the possibility of extending this period, she acknowledged that this was the goal.

“We always start with a seasonal service,” she said, noting that “in the summer, during the high season, there is always high demand, but less so in the low season. So our job is to encourage people to travel and then extend it little by little,” she said.

“Our goal would be to provide some of these services throughout the year,” she added.

"Honestly, a large part of the planes will be filled with customers travelling from Canada and outside Canada who want to come to Portugal,” she said, adding that she hopes to take customers not only to Canada but also to connect to the carrier’s network, “which expands to Mexico, Latin America and South America and also to the US.”

During the presentation of the connection, which took place today in Porto, the president of the Porto and North region Tourism Board, Luís Pedro Martins, highlighted the growing importance of Canadian tourists in Portugal.

“In 2024, 52% of trips abroad made by Canadian tourists were by air,” he said, pointing out that 72.5% travel outside the high season.

“This is everything that a region like ours, which wants to combat seasonality on a permanent basis, likes to hear. For Portugal, it ranks tenth for Porto and the North eighth with incredible growth: the market grew by 19% to 283,000 overnight stays, 135,000 guests and in the first quarter of 2025 it continues to grow by around 5.2%,” highlighting that it also likes to spread out across the region, rather than staying in the most touristy spots.

ALN/AYLS // AYLS

Lusa