Air Canada and WestJet to cut flights to the U.S. amid tariff dispute
It might be too early to tell how many Canadians will cancel their trips to the U.S. in protest against tariff threats, but Air Canada and WestJet are preparing to act.
During a quarterly earnings call on Feb. 14, Mark Galardo, executive vice president of revenue & network planning and president of Air Canada Cargo, stated that starting in March, the airline plans to shift capacity, “anticipating proactively that there could be a slowdown.”
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“We don’t see it right now. In our near-term bookings in the U.S., we don’t see any major slowdown or anything substantial that would change our view of the market,” he explained.
“That being said, if we can derisk this a little bit and move — and be a bit proactive and move capacity into other sectors we see strength — I think that’s the right move right now in this context.”
Although Galardo said it’s still premature to discuss the potential impact of “actual or potential regulatory tariffs or possible retaliations,” Air Canada continues monitoring customer behaviour and market dynamics.
When asked if they have data on Canadians cancelling their U.S. trips or if there have been fewer bookings, an airline representative said they don’t have those numbers yet.
“As far as reductions, we are still working through this as it is a fluid situation,” they said.
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In an email to Daily Hive, WestJet said it’s “reviewing and working” with the Canadian government on the possible impact of tariffs.
The airline said it has already seen a year-over-year decline in travel demand to the U.S. over the past few weeks.
“We believe this is linked, at least in part, to the differences in currency exchange rates,” they stated. “We are always reviewing our flying schedule, which reflects where people want to go, and we will continue to fly where there is demand.”
The U.S. Travel Association estimates that 20.4 million Canadians travelled to the U.S. in 2024, favouring states such as Florida, California, Nevada, New York, and Texas.
“A 10% reduction in Canadian travel could mean 2 million fewer visits, $2.1 billion in lost spending, and 14,000 job losses,” they stated.
Canadians have been vocal about boycotting U.S. goods and cancelling upcoming trips to the U.S., even if it means losing money.
Montreal resident Justa* cancelled a two-week $12,000 trip to San Francisco, Monterrey, and Big Sur.
“It cost us $600 to cancel, but money well spent. We are going to London, England, instead,” he said. “All the Canadians we know are very angry and I am expecting that the Canadian tourism reduction to the U.S. will be far greater than 10%.”
*Pseudonyms used to protect identities
With files from Isabelle Docto