Air Canada gets approval to acquire Transat

The Canadian government has approved Air Canada’s plans to buy the airline Transat A.T. for $190 million, with Transport Minister Omar Alghabra citing the need to “bring greater stability to Canada’s air transport market” in the wake of “the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the air industry.” The conditions include preserving Transat’s brand and the Quebec head office, keeping 1,500 leisure travel employees, conducting aircraft maintenance in Canada, and launching new routes.