WestJet Cancels 10 Routes To The US: See Affected Flights Now

Canada's second-largest airline by fleet size and passenger numbers, WestJet has shaved ten routes from its US network this year, as the airline continues to re-evaluate travel demand in its southern neighbor. The airline has suggested that the drop in demand for travel to America stems not only from geopolitical tension and a tit-for-tat trade war, but also from the cost of jet fuel continuing to rise.

The airport in Canada hardest hit is that of Edmonton International Airport (YEG), where five routes have been cut from the trans-border network. Other airports include Vancouver International Airport (YVR), Winnipeg / James Armstrong Richardson International Airport (YWG) and Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ).

WestJet Cuts Five US Routes From Edmonton

WestJet has come a long way since its founding in 1994, and now competes head-to-head with Canada's flag carrier Air Canada. While the airline's operations are focused in the country's western provinces, it still has an extensive network across the country and a growing European route map from Halifax / Stanfield International Airport (YHZ), Toronto, and Calgary International Airport (YYC). Data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, shows that WestJet has cut a total of ten US routes this year.

These cuts come as ongoing geopolitical tension and the cost of jet fuel continue to play havoc with airline balance sheets. In the province of Alberta, five routes from Edmonton have been cut throughout this year. These include services to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Nashville International Airport (BNA), Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has also been cut. The route to Nashville was operated as part of a wider push to attract tourism and business between the two cities, in a partnership with Delta Air Lines. Chicago followed a similar note, and both routes only lasted one season.

Three US Routes Have Been Shelved From Vancouver

WestJet's Vancouver base saw three routes cut from the airline's trans-border network this year, with the airline axing nonstop services to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Nashville and Lihue (LIH). For WestJet, Vancouver is its westernmost base.

With the airline terminating its services to Lihue, it leaves no airline operating the route. Meanwhile, Boston is served by JetBlue seasonally, and Nashville remains connected with seasonal services by Air Canada.

Fortunately for US-bound travelers, all departures from Canada on the routes affected all include US Customs and Border Preclearance. This means that passengers clear border formalities before boarding their flights, thus arriving in the US as domestic passengers.

Winnipeg And Toronto Have Lost One US Destination Each

Rounding out the ten routes cut by WestJet this year is the termination of Toronto's nonstop service to Los Angeles International Airport. This route was cut in April, and leaves the airline solely operating to the largest city in California from Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver. Air Canada and Porter Airlines continue to operate nonstop services to Toronto.

Winnipeg lost its nonstop service to Nashville in May, leaving just five destinations in total to the US. Three of these are served year-round: Chicago, Denver, and Minneapolis, with two additional seasonal links added to Fort Lauderdale and Las Vegas.

Canadians have stood firm with their 'elbows up' movement, as a response to the ongoing trade war between the two countries. This has encouraged Canadians to travel domestically or to other international destinations, while also buying locally made goods, following Trump's continued challenges to the country's Prime Minister, Mark Carney, resulting in subdued demand south of the border.