The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition that Transat AT on Thursday posted its first quarterly profit since the onset of the pandemic, amid strong demand for travel, higher air fares and cheaper fuel costs. A Canadian Press dispatch to The Globe says that the Montreal-based operator of Air Transat made $57-million, or $1.49 a share, in the third quarter, compared with a loss of $106-million or $2.82 a share a year earlier. For the three months ending on July 31, revenue rose by $238-million to $746-million, year-over-year. This is 6 per cent higher than the same period in 2019, less than a year before COVID-19 halted most air travel and sent the aviation industry into a financial crisis. Annick Guérard, chief executive officer, attributed the better numbers to strong pent-up demand for leisure travel, "significantly higher" seat prices and reduced jet-fuel expenses. Transat has added three Airbus A321LR planes for the winter and will fly a fleet of 40 aircraft, an increase in capacity of 23 per cent over the past winter. The airline is flying new routes and will increase the frequency at which its planes fly, despite questions about the state of the economy and consumers' response to inflation, she said.