WestJet suspends, reduces flights between Winnipeg and three U.S. cities
WestJet is suspending or reducing flights taking travellers from Winnipeg to a trio of U.S. destinations amid a slump in the number of Canadians crossing the southern border and the end of a provincial flight subsidy fund.
The flights between Winnipeg and Los Angeles will be suspended beginning June 1, while flights between Winnipeg and Las Vegas will be suspended as of July, Winnipeg Airports Authority spokesperson Kerilee Falloon confirmed Thursday.
The frequency of flights between Winnipeg and Atlanta will be reduced from five per week to two, Falloon said.
'These shifts are part of WestJet's broader network adjustments and they are largely connected to a weaker demand for U.S. travel tied to the ongoing tariff conditions,' Falloon said by phone.
WestJet spokeswoman Jen Booth said in April that 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.
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 WAA is tracking a dip in U.S. travel, she said.
'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.'
It is unclear whether the Los Angeles flights will return for the winter season. The WAA is advocating for its reinstatement with WestJet's network planning team, Falloon said. The future of direct flights to Las Vegas through Winnipeg is also unclear, she 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 Manitoba after its launch, CEO and film commissioner Lynne Skromeda said previously. Winnipeg-based HVAC manufacturer Price Industries operates a facility in Atlanta.
Winpak is another Winnipeg company with a sizable operation in Georgia, just south of Atlanta. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest air terminal in the world.
Former premier Heather Stefanson, who brokered the funding agreement with the WAA in 2022, now sits on WestJet Group's board of directors.
Her appointment was announced shortly after her party lost the last provincial election and she resigned as the MLA for Tuxedo.
The Free Press has reached out to WestJet for comment.
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.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Trump administration offers some details of how it would control US Steel, but union raises concerns
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — President Donald Trump would have unique influence over the operations of U.S. Steel under the terms of the investment being made by Nippon Steel. Administration officials over the past few days provided additional insight into the 'golden share' arrangement that the federal government made as a condition for supporting the partnership. The Pittsburgh-based steel maker and Nippon Steel plan $11 billion in new investments by 2028 after indicating that they plan to move forward in a partnership. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick posted on social media on Saturday how the 'golden share' to be held by the president would operate, revealing that the White House is willing to insert itself aggressively into a private company's affairs even as it has simultaneously pledged to strip away government regulations so businesses can expand. Under the government's terms, it would be impossible without Trump's consent to relocate U.S. Steel's headquarters from Pittsburgh, change the name of the company, 'transfer production or jobs outside the United States,' shutter factories, or reincorporate the business overseas, among other powers held by the president. Lutnick also said it would require presidential approval to reduce or delay $14 billion in planned investments. That figure is higher than what the companies disclosed on Friday when Trump created a pathway for the investment with an executive order based on the terms of the national security agreement being accepted. 'The Golden Share held by the United States in U.S. Steel has powerful terms that directly benefit and protect America, Pennsylvania, the great steelworkers of U.S. Steel, and U.S. manufacturers that will have massively expanded access to domestically produced steel,' Lutnick posted on X. The president has the authority to name one of the corporate board's independent three directors and veto power over the other two choices, according to a person familiar with the terms of the agreement who insisted on anonymity to discuss them. The details of the board structure were first reported by The New York Times. Still, the full terms remain somewhat unclear. Nippon Steel has never publicly backed off the idea that it is buying U.S. Steel as a wholly owned subsidiary. On Sunday, the United Steelworkers, the labor union representing U.S. Steel employees, posted a letter raising questions about the deal forged by Trump, who during his run for the presidency had pledged to block any merger. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. The union said it was 'disappointed' that Trump 'has reversed course' and raised basic questions about the ownership structure of U.S. Steel. 'Neither the government nor the companies have publicly identified what all the terms of the proposed transaction are,' the letter said. 'Our labor agreement expires next year, on September 1, 2026, and the USW and its members are prepared to engage the new owners' of U.S. Steel 'to obtain a fair contract.' If Trump has as much control of U.S. Steel as he has claimed, that could put him in the delicate position of negotiating the salary and benefits of unionized steelworkers going into midterm elections. ___ Levy reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Cision Canada
3 hours ago
- Cision Canada
Readout - Prime Minister Carney meets with Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese Français
CALGARY, AB, June 15, 2025 /CNW/ - Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, met with the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, ahead of the 2025 G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta. Prime Minister Carney underscored the many areas of close co-operation between Canada and Australia, particularly in trade, defence, and maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific. As Five Eyes partners, Prime Minister Carney shared his government's plan to rebuild, rearm, and reinvest in the Canadian Armed Forces, including through co-operation with Australia on projects such as Over-the-Horizon Radar. The leaders shared opportunities for further partnership, including on critical minerals and wildfire response. To that end, Canadians thank Prime Minister Albanese for the deployment of Australian firefighters to assist with efforts to combat Alberta wildfires and convey their gratitude to all those brave women and men on the ground keeping communities safe. As the world becomes increasingly dangerous, Canada and Australia will deepen their bilateral relationship and build shared growth. The prime ministers agreed to remain in close contact. This document is also available at
Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Unifor says former Canadian Auto Workers president Buzz Hargrove has died
TORONTO – Canada's largest private-sector union says former Canadian Auto Workers president Buzz Hargrove has died. In a statement Sunday, Unifor says Basil 'Buzz' Hargrove was 'a beloved and iconic figure in Canada's labour movement' who 'was a tireless advocate for working people and a deeply respected leader.' Hargrove was national president of the CAW from 1992 until his retirement in 2008, shortly before he reached the union's mandatory retirement age of 65. The CAW merged with the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union in 2013 to become Unifor. Born in Bath, N.B., in 1944, Unifor says Hargrove grew up in a family of 10 children and began his working life on the shop floor of Chrysler's Windsor, Ont., assembly plant. As CAW president, Unifor says he led negotiations with major employers including General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Air Canada and CN Rail, securing gains that elevated standards across sectors. 'He never forgot where he came from — and he carried that working-class spirit with him into every boardroom, bargaining session and public forum,' said Unifor National President Lana Payne in the union's statement. 'His passion, his intellect, and his uncompromising belief in justice for working people shaped the labour movement we know today.' Hargrove took over leadership of the CAW from Bob White, who led the union as it split from the U.S.-based United Auto Workers in 1985. The Canadian union, which disagreed with the UAW's bargaining direction, negotiated some of the richest contracts for workers in Canada, and under Hargrove's leadership it expanded beyond the auto industry into other sectors, including the airlines, mines and fisheries. Unifor said that Hargrove was 'a committed social unionist,' and pushed the CAW to fight for broader social justice issues including public health care, retirement security, equity, and fair trade. 'We owe him a debt of gratitude for everything he did to build a fairer Canada,' Payne added. Hargrove told reporters upon his retirement that he wasn't planning on taking it easy. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. 'I'm not going to sit in a rocking chair and I'm not going to play golf, that's not my style,' Hargrove said at a news conference in Toronto in 2008. His later activities included over a year with the NHL Players' Association, working first on the union's advisory board and then as interim ombudsman. He also served as director of the Centre for Labour Management Relations at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Toronto Metropolitan University. Hargrove was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2008. Unifor said details on a celebration of his life and legacy will be shared in the coming days. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 15, 2025.
