WestJet Teams Up With Community Partners To Celebrate Transatlantic Expansion In Halifax

Canadian carrier WestJet is celebrating the return of transatlantic service from Halifax. The airline marked the announcement with several community partners and key stakeholders expressing its excitement for the resumption of European direct services and the addition of an entirely new route for WestJet.

Where is the carrier flying?

WestJet announced its transatlantic schedule earlier this week. The Nova Scotia airport will see summer services begin next year to London Gatwick Airport, Dublin, and Edinburgh. This will mark the first time the carrier has offered transatlantic service to Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) since pulling back to focus on its operations in Calgary.

The flights will be operated by the carrier’s Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft and are expected to unlock new potential for Halifax’s business, leisure, and tourism economies. WestJet’s Vice-President of External Affairs, Andrew Gibbons, expressed how important this service is to the local community:

“In service of our valued relationship with the province, airport, partners and guests, we are thrilled to resume service between Halifax and Europe, strengthening the region’s critical connections to global hubs, tourism and business economies.

“Today’s celebration reaffirms our commitment to the city of Halifax and surrounding region, bringing to life our promise of bolstering leisure travel options in Atlantic Canada and further connecting our guests with the people and places they love most.”

Photo: Denver International Airport

The routes are scheduled to begin with the relaunch of flights to London on April 28th of next year.

Building back from Halifax

The WestJet Group has recommitted to the airport with the arrival of three routes to Europe. The resumption of service between Atlantic Canada and Europe is expected to increase the capacity of the critical tourism pipeline between Nova Scotia and Europe and reduce the need for additional transfers en route.

Back on the route map is London Gatwick Airport. It was last served by WestJet in 2022. The route will operate four times weekly, with an overnight departing Nova Scotia and a daytime flight on the return. Speaking on the announcement, Susan Corkum-Greek, Minister of Economic Development, noted how important this link is for the business community:

“We are thrilled to see the return of WestJet’s non-stop flights to these key destinations. Europe is an important market for Nova Scotia, and direct flights play a key role in leveraging these markets as people want to spend less time in transit and more time at their destination.

“The return of these routes help connect us to the global marketplace, bring new investment, support tourism growth and promote our province as a great place to visit, live, and invest,”

Something old, something new.

Another route set to return is the service to Dubin Airport. Also operating four times weekly, the route begins on June 20th after a yearlong break. WestJet will also resume its Dublin service from Toronto in the coming year after last linking the cities in 2022.

New on the route map for Halifax is the Scottish city of Edinburgh. WestJet previously connected Nova Scotia with Glasgow but dropped the service in favor of Edinburgh Airport, which it will also serve from Toronto. The full schedule is below:

The links are expected to prove popular with passengers. Air Canada currently links Halifax with London’s Heathrow Airport. The Dublin and Edinburgh routes are currently unserved. Joyce Carter, President & CEO of Halifax International Airport Authority, noted how excited passengers are for the new routes:

“WestJet has connected Halifax Stanfield and key European destinations for several years, and we’re thrilled they plan to offer three non-stop transatlantic routes again next summer.

“Dublin and London Gatwick were popular routes in the past, both for Atlantic Canadians and Europeans, and we’re delighted to add Edinburgh to our route map in 2024.”

Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock

Up next for Halifax Airport might be more domestic flights. Marie Manning, Halifax Stanfield’s chief commercial officer, confirmed the airport was “talking to a number of different airlines” to increase capacity on the popular link from Halifax to Sydney on the east coast of Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia.

Source: CTV News