Puerto Plata no longer has an off-season for Canadians. Air Transat has confirmed it will fly its route from Quebec City to the Dominican Republic's north coast all year long, moving beyond the traditional winter sun schedule. Through the summer months, the service runs once a week, every Monday, as part of the airline's wider push on Dominican Republic holiday packages.
The move says a fair bit about demand. Transat's revenue director Sebastian Ponce framed the change as a way to broaden what Quebec City travellers can book, both across the Atlantic and towards sun destinations. Stéphane Poirier, who heads Jean Lesage International Airport, noted that year-round Caribbean service shows the pull of a warm-weather break no matter the season — handy for anyone planning a spring or autumn escape rather than a February one.
For travellers, the practical upside is flexibility. Puerto Plata has long been a winter staple for Canadians, with all-inclusive resorts along Playa Dorada, the Victorian-era streets of the city itself, and the cable car up Mount Isabel de Torres within easy reach. A Monday flight running through summer means you can pair the Caribbean with Quebec City departures in shoulder months, often at friendlier prices than peak winter.
Transat is also growing its Quebec City long-haul network for summer 2027, with two new transatlantic routes: Lyon, starting 8 June 2027 with weekly Tuesday flights until 26 October, and Barcelona, launching 14 June 2027 with weekly Monday service until 25 October. The Barcelona route is a first — no direct flights have linked Quebec City with Spain before. That makes the airport an increasingly useful base for travellers in eastern Canada who'd rather not trek through Toronto or Montreal for a European trip.
The broader takeaway: Quebec City's Jean Lesage airport is quietly becoming a one-stop hub for both sun and city breaks, and Puerto Plata sits at the centre of that plan. If you've been waiting for a reason to try the Dominican Republic's less-hyped north coast — quieter than Punta Cana, with genuine towns, kite-surfing at Cabarete and the 27 Waterfalls of Damajagua nearby — a reliable year-round flight removes the main excuse.
