Canadian Carriers Cut US Routes Amid Softening Cross-Border Demand
Mike Gebhard is a frequent visitor to the United States, travelling, on average, five times a year.
His daughter works and lives in Alabama, but he says that, sometimes, it can be a difficult journey going to visit her.
“I do fly out of Saskatchewan most of the time, so it is a bit of a challenge leaving early in the morning and coming back late at night,” he said. “It does create a bit of a havoc, and a lot of hurry up and wait in some cases, but you get used to it.”
However, travel could become a little more hectic for passengers like Gebhard, who frequently travel south of the border.
Airlines adjust to declining demand
Canadian airlines Air Transat and WestJet both recently announced cutbacks on routes to U.S. cities.
A spokesperson for WestJet told CTV News that the airline saw a “notable decline in transborder travel demand throughout 2025.” As a result, the airline made the decision to change some of its routes, hoping to align with “where Canadians want to go.”
A suspension will occur on these 16 routes:
- Atlanta-Edmonton
- Nashville-Edmonton
- Nashville-Winnipeg
- Orlando-Edmonton
- Seattle-Kelowna
- San Francisco-Edmonton
- Nashville-Vancouver
- Boston-Vancouver
- Los Angeles-Toronto\Raleigh-Durham-Calgary
- San Diego-Vancouver
- Seattle-EdmontonTampa-Vancouver
- Atlanta-Winnipeg
- Orlando-Halifax
- San Francisco-Vancouver
“We see no indication that this trend will change in the foreseeable future,” a spokesperson from WestJet said in a statement. “Our airline is always reviewing its schedule and will make changes on an as-needed basis to meet the needs of Canadians.”
Meanwhile, Air Transat announced it is cancelling all their U.S. flights this summer. It will halt flights to two Florida destinations: Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.
Statistics Canada data last month showed that Canadians continued to take fewer trips to the U.S. in November 2025.
Daryl Silver, president of One Continental Travel, says while passengers should always be aware of changes like this, Canadians shouldn’t be worried about this recent shift.
“Could there be more problems now? I suppose,” he said. “In general, I don’t think that it’s that significant if it’s happening.”
“We haven’t had any problem with passengers crossing the border,” he added.
Travel expert not surprised by this decision
Travel expert Barry Choi says airlines are always going to look for routes that make them the most money.
“The airlines are going to shift their planes to where they can make the most profits,” he said. “It’s one of those (things) where if they feel they can focus on domestic where they excel, especially on the West Coast, and if it’s profitable, it’s good for them.”
Choi believes this shift provides a new opportunity for Canadian travellers.
“Air Transat announced they are now going to fly to Ghana, which I am sure is going to be very helpful for many African-Canadians,” he said. “And for WestJet, they are flying Calgary more to interior B.C. and (the) West Coast. If that’s what they (Canadians) are looking for, why not?” he said.
Aviation analyst John Gradek says the decisions airlines are making in Canada right now are being driven by consumers.
“The airlines are responding to a drop in market demand – driven by consumers, not driven by the weather, not driven by anything else,” he said. “Consumers have decided they would rather spend their leisure travel on flights (to destinations) other than the U.S., and they are reacting to that.”
Whether the shift becomes long-term depends largely on the attitude of Canadians, Gradek added.
“It may be a situation where we may end up with this phenomenon for the duration of the (Trump) administration in the U.S., or maybe longer,” he said. “This is customer driven. This is really Canadian driven – (it) depends on the mood of the Canadians.”
Porter Airlines adding more U.S. routes
While some airlines are scaling back, Porter Airlines is moving in the opposite direction.
The airline announced Wednesday that it is adding flights from Canada to our southern neighbour, with new service to Austin, Texas, along with expanded operations at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
“Porter continues to offer more destinations and flights that complement existing schedules and connect travellers across North America through our hubs,” said Andrew Pierce, vice-president of network planning and reporting at Porter Airlines, in a media release.
“Travellers want more options.”
Year-round flights to Austin will begin June 10 from Toronto Pearson International Airport, while service to Chicago will launch Sept. 1 from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.
This article was first reported by CTV News
