The Canadian airline will add three additional European destinations to its existing six transatlantic routes to and from Halifax. These are Lisbon, Madrid, and Copenhagen. WestJet will operate Boeing 737 MAX 8 jetliners on all three routes. According to the manufacturer, their range is 6,510 km (3,500 nautical miles) at maximum passenger capacity and cargo load. The distance between Nova Scotia and Copenhagen, the longest of the three new routes, is 5,300 km.
While flights to Lisbon have been operating since 01MAY26 (5/7), Madrid and Copenhagen will follow on 15MAY26 and 28MAY26, respectively – each with four weekly flights. However, all these routes are limited to the summer season and will not be served during the winter schedule 26/27. In doing so, WestJet is, to some extent, following the business model of its Canadian peer, Air Transat. The Montreal-based carrier primarily serves routes between Canada and Europe in the summer and routes to the Caribbean and Central America in the winter.
Nova Scotia sees an upturn in air traffic
In addition to the three new European connections, WestJet operates transatlantic routes from Halifax to Barcelona, Amsterdam, Dublin, Edinburgh, London Gatwick and Paris.Halifax is massively benefitting from the new WestJet flights, strengthening its status as a gateway for passenger and cargo traffic between Europe and Canada’s East Coast, at least for the current summer season. The response from Nova Scotia has been correspondingly positive following the WestJet announcement: “These new non-stop services will complement WestJet’s six existing European destinations from Halifax Stanfield, reinforcing our status as North America’s most internationally connected airport of our size and a key Canadian gateway. Each new route strengthens our global reach, offers travelers more choice, and fuels economic opportunity here at home,” enthusedJoyce Carter, President & CEO of Halifax International Airport Authority.
Colton LeBlanc, Minister of Growth and Development for the Province of Nova Scotia, made a similar statement: “WestJet’s expansion of their international routes between Halifax and Europe will help the province establish new markets for our products and services, grow our economy and make it easier for more people to visit our province than ever before. The new direct WestJet routes between Halifax and Madrid, Copenhagen and Lisbon, in addition to Detroit and in combination with their other routes, illustrates the airline’s acknowledgement that Nova Scotia is a province that is open for business, and our economy is taking off.”
Canada instead of USA
WestJet’s operational growth has a direct impact on air traffic in Nova Scotia. This is also evident in domestic flights, which have also seen a sharp increase – a remarkable 50% compared to the previous year. This is partly because Europeans are increasingly avoiding the U.S. and preferring to fly to Canada instead, where they feel welcome.
“Strengthening our direct connections to key markets, including Europe and the northeastern United States, enhances tourism, creates economic opportunities, and makes it easier for our residents and businesses to connect with the world. These new routes will bring more visitors to Halifax, support our local economy, and further position our city as a gateway to Atlantic Canada,” Mayor Andy Fillmore, Halifax Regional Municipality, enthused. Codeshare agreements with SkyTeam partners SAS, KLM, and Air France, ensure seamless connections for passenger and cargo traffic to and from Europe, enabling WestJet to offer its customers destinations in virtually every region of the EU.
Flights to South America have been put on the backburner
Final word from Samantha Taylor, WestJet Group Executive Vice President and Chief Experience Officer: “WestJet is proud to invest in Halifax and to help open Europe to Canadians, and Canada to the world. With shorter flight times, competitive fares and direct access to Europe’s cultural heartlands, Halifax is uniquely positioned to serve as Canada’s Atlantic gateway.”
Simultaneously to its transatlantic expansion, WestJet has postponed its entry into the South American market by canceling the launch of its direct service between Toronto and Medellín, which was scheduled to begin in late April 2026. So far, there have been no changes to the launch of its scheduled flights between Calgary and São Paulo-Guarulhos, set to begin on 09NOV26.
