Canada’s aviation industry suffers from trade issues with the United States

Several major Canadian airlines are changing flight schedules as a result of trade concerns with the United States, according to ctvnews.ca. The actions entail halting certain routes between the two nations and augmenting domestic flights as demand for travel to the United States declines.

Demand has declined markedly, primarily due to a reduction in Canadian tourists

Ryan Ewing, founder of AirlineGeeks.com, stated that the two countries’ aviation businesses are experiencing a major reduction in demand, primarily from Canadian travelers. According to Ewing, the cause is Canadians’ dissatisfaction with US President Donald Trump’s beliefs and policies, as well as the ongoing trade war.

OAG, an aviation analytics business, also found a “worrying trend”: advance bookings for flights between Canada and the United States were more than 70% lower through the end of September than in 2024. According to OAG, the steep fall indicates that travelers are delaying bookings owing to concern over the trade dispute. That’s bad news for airlines but potentially excellent news for passengers. According to OAG, several airlines may reduce fares to the United States to increase demand.

Many airlines change their flying plans and schedules

WestJet

WestJet has announced the suspension of four summer routes to the United States (New York – Calgary, Orlando – Edmonton, Austin – Vancouver, and Seattle – Kelowna) owing to decreased demand. In contrast, WestJet saw increasing domestic demand, particularly between Eastern and Western Canada, so it introduced three additional domestic routes as well as expanded international flights from Halifax to Amsterdam and Barcelona.

Porter Airlines

Porter Airlines is likewise adjusting to accommodate increased domestic demand. Domestic flights will account for 80% of total network capacity throughout the summer, up from 75% previously. Porter has not canceled any US routes, but it is expanding its domestic flights. It is also expanding service to Phoenix, San Diego, and New York-LaGuardia, launching Montreal-New York-Newark, and increasing frequency to Las Vegas and Fort Lauderdale. Despite the current uncertainties in Canada-US travel, Porter believes New York will remain an essential long-term market.

Air Canada

Air Canada, Canada’s largest airline, is also modifying its US schedule, with plans to employ smaller aircraft and cut frequency on several routes. Direct flights from Vancouver to Washington Dulles have been rerouted with connections in Toronto. Air Canada’s cross-border bookings fell by about 10% between April and September 2024.

JetBlue

JetBlue has revealed that it had discontinued its summer service between Halifax and Boston because to low bookings and economic uncertainties. JetBlue stated that it will continue to fly to Vancouver, its lone Canadian destination, and will issue full refunds to affected clients. The airline is considering reinstating flights to Halifax next summer.

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