Canada–Tunisia: A new agreement for increasingly open skies

Tunisia and Canada have strengthened their air transport agreement. The announcement, made by Canadian Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon and welcomed by International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu, marks the second major revision of the agreement since it was first signed, following an initial expansion in 2019.

What the new agreement changes in practical terms

Under this new agreement, the number of passenger and cargo flights connecting the two countries is increasing from 4 to 7 flights per week—effectively doubling available capacity.

Furthermore, access to destinations is being significantly broadened. While designated airlines from each country were previously restricted to serving only a single point within the other country’s territory, they may now operate routes to any city in the partner country, rather than being limited to a single gateway.

Regarding freight, there were previously no specific rights for all-cargo flights between the two countries; the new agreement now authorizes an unlimited number of weekly cargo rotations.

How many flights currently operate between Canada and Tunisia?

Currently, only one airline operates a direct, scheduled service between the two countries: Tunisair, on the Tunis (TUN) – Montreal-Trudeau (YUL) route, which launched in June 2016. To date, this remains the only non-stop route between Canada and Tunisia; no Canadian carrier, including Air Canada, operates direct flights to Tunisia.

The frequency of this route varies by season:

During the peak summer season, Tunisair operates up to several round-trip flights per week using an Airbus A330-200, with a flight time of approximately 8 hours 15 minutes to 8 hours 55 minutes, depending on the direction.

During the off-peak season, service is reduced to approximately two flights per week departing from Montreal.