WestJet is suspending or reducing nine cross-border routes for parts of the summer as part of the fallout from U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
With fewer Canadians choosing to travel to the United States, the airline says it is suspending flights from Vancouver to Austin from May through October; Calgary to Fort Lauderdale, Edmonton to Chicago, St. John’s to Orlando and Winnipeg to Orlando for all of June; Kelowna to Seattle and Winnipeg to Los Angeles from June through August; and Edmonton to Atlanta and Winnipeg to Las Vegas from July through August.
A spokesperson tells CityNews that WestJet will continue to evaluate and adjust its schedule according to demand.
“We remain committed to reviewing opportunities for direct service on these routes in the future,” they said in a statement.
Last month, WestJet announced an expansion of its domestic routes while making it easier for Canadians to connect with its transatlantic network from Halifax and St. John’s this summer.
Air Canada previously reported that Canada-U.S. flight bookings for April through September are down about 10 per cent.
Statistics Canada reported last month that the number of Canadians returning home by car from the U.S. fell nearly 32 per cent compared to March 2024, the third consecutive month of year-over-year declines and the steepest plunge since the pandemic.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data, there were more than 910,000 fewer land border crossings from Canada into the U.S. last month than in March of 2024 — a more than 22 per cent drop.
Return trips from countries other than the U.S., however, increased about nine per cent year-over-year last month.
Files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press were used in this report
