It is always exciting when multiple routes start in little time, of which there have been many examples recently. It is even more noteworthy when they are all long-haul. On May 15 and 16, three North American carriers (Air Transat, Delta Air Lines, and WestJet) launched or resumed four European services. Half were brand-new markets.

They have contributed to record capacity from the US and Canada to Europe this summer. When all airlines are combined, OAG data shows 37.3 million round-trip seats for sale will be available in the critical Q3 2026 (July-September), exceeding the prior record by nearly 1%. While from a significantly smaller base, Canada has grown the most (+6%).

WesJet Has Started These Two Routes To Europe

Credit: Glasgow Airport

On May 15, WestJet inaugurated two routes. First, Canada’s second-largest airline took off from Halifax / Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) to Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD). This airport pair, which covers 2,605 nautical miles (4,824 km) each way, had not previously been served, which makes it even more notable. The launch came shortly after the airline began flying to Portugal for the first time.

The brand-new route to MAD is served three to four times a week aboard the 174-seat Boeing 737 MAX 8. It marked WestJet’s debut in the Spanish capital. It is also the growing carrier’s record third route to Spain, joining Calgary to Barcelona and YHZ to Barcelona.

Booking data shows that YHZ-MAD had fewer than 3,000 round-trip passengers last year, which is ridiculously low. While the new nonstop flights will easily increase the point-to-point traffic, the brand-new route will still rely massively on connections to/from larger Canadian cities to fill the aircraft.

On the same day, WestJet reintroduced the link from Toronto to Glasgow, with a four-weekly 737 MAX 8 operation. It was previously part of its network amid the pandemic in 2022. Along with United Airlines’ recent return to Glasgow, OAG data shows that the Scottish city has 109,000 seats to/from North America in Q3 2026. That’s the highest volume in seven years.

Delta Introduces This Brand-New Route

Credit: Delta

On May 16, the SkyTeam member took off from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE), with three weekly A330-300 flights. It was the first time the market had ever been served.

BOS-NCE only had 24,000 round-trip passengers last year, which meant the French destination was only BOS’s 11th-largest unserved European market. However, it was higher-yielding than most of the others, which was influenced by more premium demand. Delta’s new route has influenced NCE’s North American capacity, rising to a new high, as it is by 16% from the previous pinnacle.

Delta has a record number of seats between BOS and Europe. In Q3 2026, the carrier has scheduled 597,000 two-way seats for sale, which exceeds the prior high by a substantial 21%. New flights to MAD and Milan also contributed to this development.

Air Transat Is Back On This Long Route From Canada’s Capital

Credit: Gatwick Airport

Then there’s Air Transat. On May 15, the Canadian leisure operator lifted off from Ottawa to London Gatwick, which now has three weekly services on the 199-seat A321LR. The carrier last served this market in 2014, when the A310 was deployed. That small widebody was withdrawn from Air Transat’s fleet in 2020.

Air Transat’s relaunch means that the capital of Canada has two nonstop routes to London this year. It joins Air Canada to London Heathrow, with that link switching to the A321XLR and becoming a daytime service to the UK later this year. Only Air Canada will operate in the winter.

For the first time in 15 years, Ottawa will have three airlines operating to Europe, with Air Transat and Air Canada joining Air France. They will collectively have 107,000 round-trip seats for sale in Q3, which is 15% above the prior high, which was held in Q3 2011.