WestJet suspends nine U.S. routes due to lower demand
WestJet announced that it will be suspending nine routes between the U.S. and Canada due to a decrease in demand for travel between the two countries. Flights from Canadian cities to destinations such as Austin, Los Angeles, and Chicago will be impacted by these suspensions.
According to a spokesperson for the airline, the following routes will be temporarily suspended:
– Vancouver to Austin (May through October)
– Calgary to Fort Lauderdale, Edmonton to Chicago, St. John’s to Orlando, and Winnipeg to Orlando (June)
– Kelowna to Seattle-Tacoma and Winnipeg to Los Angeles (June through August)
– Edmonton to Atlanta and Winnipeg to Las Vegas (July through August)
The Edmonton to Chicago route is set to resume on June 28, the St. John’s to Orlando route on June 30, and the Winnipeg to Los Angeles route on August 28. The remaining suspensions will last until the end of the specified months.
In response to the changing demand, WestJet stated that they continuously evaluate and adjust their schedule to meet customer needs. They remain committed to exploring opportunities for direct service on these routes in the future.
This decision comes as fewer Canadians are traveling to the U.S. amid trade tensions and as U.S. President Donald Trump continues to make provocative statements about Canada. WestJet had previously announced plans to add new domestic routes within Canada and improve connections to European flights.
Jenna Benchetrit, the senior business writer for CBC News, reported on this development. She covers Canadian economic and consumer issues, as well as U.S. politics. Based in Toronto, Jenna holds a master’s degree in journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University.
For more information and updates on this story, you can contact Jenna Benchetrit at jenna.benchetrit@cbc.ca.
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