Further severe capacity reductions have been made on WestJet’s domestic services across Canada, with the latest cuts amounting to a 50% reduction in service.
The airline is responding to nosediving demand in air travel, with more people avoiding non-essential air travel to practice social distancing during this turbulent period for the aviation industry amidst the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
WestJet has prioritized its remaining services, which retain critical economic lifelines open for the 38 communities it connects across Canada.
The temporary frequency changes will be effective Monday, March 23, and will last through at least April 21, 2020. But further changes could be made as a result of the escalating pandemic.
“We have proudly served Canadians for more than 24 years and we are committed to providing them critical economic connectivity during this difficult time,” said Ed Sims, president and CEO of WestJet, in a statement.
“Frequency may be reduced, but we pledge to be there for Canadians as long as possible to keep connections open and vital goods moving across our country.”
Major routes between Canada’s largest cities will only have a handful of daily flights. With the changes, this means there will now only be three daily flights from Vancouver to Toronto, and five daily flights from Calgary to Toronto.
Just last week, WestJet cancelled all of its international and US transborder flights. Its main competitor, Air Canada, is temporarily laying off 5,000 employees.
Here is the full schedule of domestic changes on WestJet beginning Monday, March 23:
Alberta and Northwest Territories
| Domestic Route |
Planned Operations |
| Calgary-Abbotsford |
3x daily |
| Calgary-Comox |
2x daily |
| Calgary-Cranbrook |
2x daily |
| Calgary-Fort St. John |
2x daily |
| Calgary-Kamloops |
1x daily |
| Calgary-Kelowna |
4x daily |
| Calgary-Nanaimo |
1x daily |
| Calgary-Penticton |
1x daily |
| Calgary-Prince George |
1x daily |
| Calgary-Vancouver |
6x daily |
| Calgary-Victoria |
2x daily |
| Calgary-Edmonton |
6x daily |
| Calgary-Fort McMurray |
3x daily |
| Calgary-Grande Prairie |
3x daily |
| Calgary-Lethbridge |
2x daily |
| Calgary-Lloydminster |
6x weekly |
| Calgary-Medicine Hat |
2x daily |
| Calgary-Yellowknife |
1x daily |
| Calgary-Brandon |
1x daily |
| Calgary-Regina |
4x daily |
| Calgary-Saskatoon |
4x daily |
| Calgary-Winnipeg |
4x daily |
| Calgary-Hamilton |
4x weekly |
| Calgary-Kitchener/Waterloo |
3x weekly |
| Calgary-Ottawa |
4x weekly |
| Calgary-Toronto |
5x daily |
| Calgary-Montreal |
3x weekly |
| Calgary-Halifax |
4x weekly |
| Edmonton-Kelowna |
1x daily |
| Edmonton-Vancouver |
2x daily |
| Edmonton-Calgary |
6x daily |
| Edmonton-Fort McMurray |
2x daily |
| Edmonton-Grande Prairie |
1x daily |
| Edmonton-Regina |
4x weekly |
| Edmonton-Saskatoon |
3x weekly |
| Edmonton-Winnipeg |
1x daily |
| Edmonton-Toronto |
1x daily |
British Columbia and Yukon
| Domestic Route |
Planned Operations |
| Abbotsford-Calgary |
3x daily |
| Comox-Calgary |
2x daily |
| Cranbrook-Calgary |
2x daily |
| Fort St John-Vancouver |
1x daily |
| Fort St John-Calgary |
2x daily |
| Kamloops-Calgary |
1x daily |
| Kelowna-Vancouver |
3x daily |
| Kelowna-Calgary |
4x daily |
| Kelowna-Edmonton |
1x daily |
| Nanaimo-Calgary |
1x daily |
| Penticton-Calgary |
1x daily |
| Prince George-Vancouver |
3x daily |
| Prince George-Calgary |
1x daily |
| Terrace-Vancouver |
2x daily |
| Vancouver-Fort St John |
1x daily |
| Vancouver-Kelowna |
3x daily |
| Vancouver-Prince George |
3x daily |
| Vancouver-Terrace |
2x daily |
| Vancouver-Victoria |
2x daily |
| Vancouver-Calgary |
6x daily |
| Vancouver-Edmonton |
2x daily |
| Vancouver-Toronto |
3x daily |
| Victoria-Vancouver |
2x daily |
| Victoria-Calgary |
2x daily |
Ontario
| Domestic Route |
Planned Operations |
| Hamilton-Calgary |
4x weekly |
| Kitchener/Waterloo-Calgary |
3x weekly |
| London, ON-Toronto |
1x daily |
| Ottawa-Calgary |
4x weekly |
| Ottawa-Toronto |
5x daily |
| Ottawa-Halifax |
1x weekly |
| Thunder Bay-Winnipeg |
1x daily |
| Thunder Bay-Toronto |
1x daily |
| Toronto-Vancouver |
3x daily |
| Toronto-Calgary |
5x daily |
| Toronto-Edmonton |
1x daily |
| Toronto-Winnipeg |
3x daily |
| Toronto-London, ON |
1x daily |
| Toronto-Ottawa |
5x daily |
| Toronto-Thunder Bay |
1x daily |
| Toronto-Montreal |
5x daily |
| Toronto-Quebec City |
1x daily |
| Toronto-Charlottetown |
3x weekly |
| Toronto-Fredericton |
1x daily |
| Toronto-Halifax |
4x daily |
| Toronto-Moncton |
1x daily |
| Toronto-St. John’s (NL) |
1x daily |
Saskatchewan
| Domestic Route |
Planned Operations |
| Regina-Calgary |
4x daily |
| Regina-Edmonton |
4x daily |
| Saskatoon-Calgary |
4x daily |
| Saskatoon-Edmonton |
3x weekly |
| Saskatoon-Winnipeg |
1x daily |
Manitoba
| Domestic Route |
Planned Operations |
| Brandon-Calgary |
1x daily |
| Winnipeg-Calgary |
4x daily |
| Winnipeg-Edmonton |
1x daily |
| Winnipeg-Saskatoon |
1x daily |
| Winnipeg-Thunder Bay |
1x daily |
| Winnipeg-Toronto |
3x daily |
Quebec
| Domestic Route |
Planned Operations |
| Montreal-Calgary |
3x weekly |
| Montreal-Toronto |
5x daily |
| Montreal-Halifax |
1x weekly |
| Quebec City-Toronto |
1x daily |
New Brunswick
| Domestic Route |
Planned Operations |
| Fredericton-Toronto |
1x daily |
| Moncton-Toronto |
1x daily |
Nova Scotia
| Domestic Route |
Planned Operations |
| Halifax-Calgary |
4x weekly |
| Halifax-Ottawa |
1x weekly |
| Halifax-Toronto |
4x daily |
| Halifax-Montreal |
1x weekly |
| Halifax-St. John’s (NL) |
2x daily |
| Halifax-Sydney |
1x daily |
| Sydney-Halifax |
1x daily |
Prince Edward Island
| Domestic Route |
Planned Operations |
| Charlottetown-Toronto |
3x weekly |
Newfoundland and Labrador
| Domestic Route |
Planned Operations |
| St. John’s (NL)-Toronto |
1x daily |
| St. John’s (NL)-Halifax |
2x daily |
