Air Transat retires rare Airbus A310 after long service

The Airbus A310, a relatively rare aircraft with just over 250 units built, was retained by Air Transat longer than most airlines. The Canadian leisure carrier's relationship with the A310 began in December 2000 when it received its first model, registered as C-GFAT. Over the years, Air Transat operated a total of 14 Airbus A310-300s.

Air Transat's A310s were configured for high-density seating to maximize passenger capacity at lower costs. Most of these aircraft featured 250 seats, with the majority being economy class in a nine-abreast configuration. The remaining seats were part of the Club Class cabin, offering more width but not much additional legroom.

According to Cirium data, Air Transat scheduled numerous flights using its A310 fleet from 2004 onwards. By 2009, all 14 examples had been delivered, resulting in increased traffic for the airline. However, by 2019, several A310s had left the fleet as newer models took precedence.