‘Downward shift in demand' as WestJet suspends, reduces flights between Winnipeg, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Orlando
WestJet is suspending or reducing flights taking travellers from Winnipeg to a handful of U.S. destinations amid a slump in the number of Canadians crossing the border and the end of a provincial flight subsidy fund.
The flights between Winnipeg and Los Angeles will be suspended from June 1 to Aug. 28, while flights between Winnipeg and Las Vegas will be suspended in July and August; direct flights to Orlando will be suspended in June only, WestJet spokeswoman Julia Brunet said in an email statement Thursday.
The frequency of flights between Winnipeg and Atlanta will be reduced from five per week to three in June, and then to two times weekly in July and August.
'I can confirm that we have seen a downward shift in demand for trans-border bookings between Canada and the U.S. The following schedule adjustments have been made to reflect this shift in demand,' Brunet said.
WestJet spokeswoman Jen Booth said in April the Calgary-based company would make adjustments to its trans-border routes ahead of the summer season. It announced a new Winnipeg-to-St. John's route and increased the frequency of its flights between Winnipeg and Halifax.
Winnipeg Airports Authority spokesperson Kerilee Falloon said those changes are a sign WestJet is 'reinvesting in connectivity from Winnipeg, but more focused on Canadian destinations.'
The new route will also improve connectivity to Europe, through St. John's, she said.
The airports authority is tracking the dip in U.S. travel.
'It's a situation where the economic conditions are changing daily. We're working really closely with WestJet to monitor the situation and to look at market demand,' Falloon said.
'We haven't seen a significant decline yet, but are starting to see more of a decline now.'
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U.S. President Donald Trump implemented economy-wide tariffs in March, blaming Canada for the flow of fentanyl across the border. Days later, those duties were partially rescinded, but tariffs on steel, aluminum and automobiles were later put in place.
In response, some Canadians have boycotted American products, including travel down south.
Falloon is hopeful the altered flight plans will return to normal for the winter season. The airports authority is advocating for their reinstatement with WestJet's network planning team, Falloon said.
The province ended a subsidy fund last month for flights connecting Winnipeg to Hollywood and Atlanta. Finance Minister Adrien Sala said the fund paid out $4.8 million since it was launched by the previous Progressive Conservative government in 2022.
Manitoba's film industry was supported by the Los Angeles connection, which brought more production to the province after its launch, Manitoba Music and Film CEO and film commissioner Lynne Skromeda said previously.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES
'We remain hopeful that direct service will resume as travel demand rebounds,' Manitoba Music and Film CEO and film commissioner Lynne Skromeda said in an email statement.
'We remain hopeful that direct service will resume as travel demand rebounds,' Manitoba Music and Film CEO and film commissioner Lynne Skromeda said in an email statement.
'While the temporary suspension of direct flights to Los Angeles & Atlanta is unfortunate, it is not entirely unexpected given the broader trend of reduced travel to the United States from across Canada,' Skromeda said in an email statement Thursday.
'The encouraging news is that Manitoba remains accessible, with alternative routes offering relatively short layovers. We anticipate a strong and successful year ahead for our industry, and we remain hopeful that direct service will resume as travel demand rebounds.'
Progressive Conservative MLA Richard Perchotte took aim at the NDP for halting the subsidy.
'When will they stand up and protect this industry?' Perchotte said during question period Wednesday at the Manitoba legislature.
Winnipeg company Winpak has a sizeable operation in Georgia, just south of Atlanta. The firm's CEO said the reduction in direct routes to Atlanta will be a nuisance.
'For Winpak, the connection to (Atlanta) is very significant because of our site there and the many corporate officers working from there. This isn't leisure travel for us, so additional complications and flight connections are a considerable hindrance and additional cost,' Olivier Muggli said in a message to the Free Press.
'Hopefully, the relationship with our southern neighbours can be restored amicably in a not-too-distant future and the situation normalizes.'
HVAC manufacturer Price Industries is another Winnipeg-based business that operates a facility in Georgia.
Former premier Heather Stefanson, who brokered the funding agreement with the airports authority in 2022, now sits on WestJet Group's board of directors.
Her appointment was announced shortly after her party lost the last provincial election in October 2023 and she resigned as the MLA for Tuxedo.
tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca
Tyler SearleReporter
Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press's city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic's creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler.
Every piece of reporting Tyler produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
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