Air Transat Renames the Atlantic Ocean as the Canadien Ocean

Air Transat has announced that it is officially changing the name of the Atlantic Ocean to the Canadien Ocean.

If you’re wondering why, or even how Air Transat has the authority to make such a change, it might be worth taking a look at your calendar to see what day it is. 

It is a major change however. The first documented usage of the term “Atlantic” was in the sixth century BC by a Greek poet who called it Atlantikôi pelágei or the “Sea of Atlas.”

And renaming large bodies of water is very on-trend this year. U.S. President Donald Trump recently decided that the Gulf of Mexico will henceforth be referred to as the Gulf of America.

Effective immediately, the new name will be featured in onboard announcements across the TS network. To rally nationwide support, the company is launching a petition to make the rebranding permanent on official governmental documents and maps.  

The initiative was celebrated last night on the very first flight over the newly named Canadien Ocean, one of up to 184 crossings Air Transat makes each week. That in itself should earn naming rights!

Passengers on the flight were treated to commemorative certificates, and the first official in-flight announcement, marking the historic moment.  

“We’ve been flying the Montréal way for 37 years – bold, full of joie de vivre, and just a little cheeky,” said Xavier Szwengler, Transat’s VP of Marketing and Loyalty. 

“As a proudly Canadien airline, we want to celebrate this moment with Canadians at a time when we’re rediscovering and embracing our national identity.”

To mark the occasion, Air Transat is taking over Sankofa Square (formerly Yonge-Dundas Square) in Toronto, unveiling the name change to the broader public.   

While we’re at it, perhaps it’s time to give the Pacific Ocean a new and more alpha name. After all, “Peaceful Sea” sounds a bit namby-pamby in these aggressive times. We’re thinking “Big FN Ocean,” but we’re open to suggestions.