Since the aviation industry’s recovery from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, Canadian carrier WestJet has enjoyed considerable growth in its transatlantic flights to and from Europe. In 2026, this trend has manifested in no fewer than eight new European routes from four Canadian bases, with these routes taking flight between early May and late June.

Interestingly, scheduling data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, shows that all of these flights will be operated by Boeing 737 MAX 8 narrowbody twinjets. While WestJet does fly widebodies in the form of the 787-9 Dreamliners, these planes are based out of Calgary International Airport (YYC), and none of the new routes originate there.

Three New Toronto Connections

Credit: Cardiff Airport

Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) is the home of three of the eight new transatlantic routes that WestJet is launching this summer. June 12 will see the Canadian carrier fly from there to the Portuguese island of Ponta Delgada in the Azores for the first time, with flights operating at a frequency of either three or four per week. The other two new Toronto routes serve the UK.

Indeed, on May 15 of this year, WestJet commenced operations between Toronto and Glasgow Airport (GLA) in Scotland, with Cardiff in Wales joining the carrier’s roster a week later. Both of these routes will be served four times a week in each direction. Cardiff was a particularly meaningful addition, given that it hadn’t seen Canadian flights in almost 20 years. Jon Bridge, the airport’s CEO, said the route makes connections more seamless for passengers.

“The arrival of WestJet’s direct service gives customers easier access to Toronto and onward destinations across North America, [and] it firmly strengthens Cardiff Airport’s position as the international gateway for Wales.“

A Busy Summer In Halifax

Credit: Shutterstock

Elsewhere in Canada, Halifax / Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) in the northeastern province of Nova Scotia also has three new European routes operated by WestJet in its roster this summer. This trio of transatlantic corridors commenced operations last month, with Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) in Portugal kicking off on May 1. This route will be served five times a week each way.

It was followed two weeks later, on May 15, by another Iberian connection, namely the route to Adolfo Suárez Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD) in Spain. WestJet plans to serve this corridor three to four times a week, with the new service to Copenhagen Kastrup Airport (CPH) in Denmark also operating four times a week in each direction. That particular route commenced operations on May 28.

WestJet’s meteoric growth in the transatlantic market this year reflects a wider trend that dates back over a decade. Having first offered 35,904 two-way seats to or from Europe back in 2014, this figure more than doubled to 86,820 a year later. Its pre-pandemic peak was 695,990 in 2019, but it has exceeded this figure every year since 2022, with this year reaching 1,323,254 seats.

Iceland Bound

Credit: Great Circle Map

WestJet’s two remaining new European routes this summer both serve Reykjavík Keflavík International Airport (KEF) in Iceland weekly. The first of these corridors will commence operations on June 26 from Edmonton International Airport (YEG) in the province of Alberta, with the inaugural flight from Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport (YWG) to Keflavík operating the following day.

These services will join WestJet’s existing daily service from Calgary International Airport to Keflavík, which it operates using the 737 MAX 8. In fact, Keflavík is the only European route from Calgary that the carrier doesn’t serve with the 787-9, with WestJet favoring this widebody twinjet for its flights from there to Barcelona, Dublin, Edinburgh, London Heathrow, Paris, and Rome.