Montreal, May 17, 2017 — To celebrate the launch of its Chef’s Menu by Daniel Vézina on its transatlantic flights, Air Transat surprised some 350 passengers on board its Airbus A330 to Paris last night by treating them to an exclusive dish from the new menu, in the company of great chef Daniel Vézina himself, as well as Air Transat President-General Manager, Jean-François Lemay.    

Just before boarding, Lemay and Vézina announced the good news to the passengers, who were delighted. “This partnership is a wonderful addition that allows us to take the inflight experience to new heights, in both Club and Economy Class,” Lemay explained to the passengers. “But it’s also an important union between two companies that are committed to offering the best to their clients.”

“I’m elated to be the first Quebec chef to create inflight gourmet meals,” exclaims Vézina. “The positive reaction of passengers inspires me to continue this adventure with great enthusiasm. Their happiness is the main motivation behind my partnership with Air Transat.”

“Travellers are more and more demanding and want access to higher quality services,” says Pierre-Paul Pharand, Vice-President, Airport Operations, Infrastructure and Air Services Development at Aéroport de Montréal. “That’s what we strive for at the airport, and we are pleased to shine a light on how Air Transat is addressing this issue.”

The Chef’s Menu by Daniel Vézina has been available as of May 1 to all Club Class passengers. Vézina’s signature dishes have been available to Economy Class passengers for $25 as of May 1 on transatlantic flights and are served with a cheese plate, dessert and glass of wine. The Chef’s Menu by Daniel Vézina will also be offered to Economy Class passengers on flights to the South as of July 1.

The dishes available for the 2017 summer season are:

·        Chicken ragout with lemon zest and seasonal vegetables

·        Duck confit lasagna with spinach and a sherry and foie gras emulsion

·        Braised leg of lamb with spices, maple syrup and Indian vegetable curry

·        Sweet potato gnocchi with red wine bolognese, spinach pesto and Parmesan shavings

·        Vegetarian moussaka with grilled vegetables, creamed goat cheese, tomato and red pepper coulis

·        Vegan risotto with rice cream, red pepper coulis and diced root vegetables with fennel

The meals created by Daniel Vézina, which will change over the seasons, can be pre-ordered on Air Transat’s website or by calling the Booking Centre.

To learn more about the Chef’s Menu by Daniel Vézina, visit www.airtransat.com.

About Chef Daniel Vézina

Chef Daniel Vézina has been at the heart of the Quebec culinary scene for more than 35 years. He’s founder and co-owner of the Laurie Raphaël restaurants in Quebec City (1991) and Montreal (2007), and last May opened a health-food counter called La Serre. Considered one of the pioneers of cooking without wasting food, he has published six cookbooks, the last of which won a Gold Award at the Taste Canada Awards for most unique subject. Daniel Vézina has received many distinctions and awards throughout his career. He received the Renaud Cyr award by the Mérite national de la restauration et de l’alimentation in 2001, was named Chef of the Year in 2006 at the ITHQ gala and was inducted into the International Order of Disciples of Auguste Escoffier in Paris in 2012. A household name in Quebec, Daniel Vézina is a coach on the popular show Les chefs! and hosts several television and radio cooking shows.

About Air Transat

Air Transat is Canada’s number one holiday travel airline in the Canadian and transatlantic markets. Every year, it carries some three million passengers to approximately 60 destinations in 26 countries. Based in Montreal, the company employs more than 2,500 people and operates a fleet of Boeing narrow-body and Airbus wide-body jets. In 2016, Air Transat was named Best North American Leisure Airline for the fifth consecutive year by Skytrax. In recent years, the carrier has earned multiple distinctions for its efforts to reduce its environmental footprint. Since 2011, it has consistently been ranked number one in North America for energy efficiency, and in the Top 20 worldwide, by the Atmosfair Airline Index. Air Transat is a business unit of Transat A.T. Inc., a leading integrated international tourism company active in air transportation, accommodation, travel packaging and distribution. Transat was awarded Travelife Partner status in 2016 in recognition of its commitment to sustainable development. The vacation travel companion par excellence, Transat celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2017.