Canadian airline includes Salt Lake City in future ‘comprehensive' summer plans
The Canadian airline WestJet announced Monday it plans to offer seasonal nonstop service between Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and Salt Lake City beginning next year. | WestJet
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It'll soon be easier for Utahns to visit the Canadian side of the Rockies.
WestJet announced Monday it plans to offer new seasonal service between Edmonton International Airport in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and Salt Lake City International Airport beginning on May 15, 2025, as a part of its "comprehensive" summer schedule.
The Canadian airline plans to offer five nonstop flights per week between the two cities through Oct. 24, 2025, through a partnership with Delta Air Lines. It will join Air Canada as a Canadian airline with service out of Salt Lake City and become the 15th overall airline at the airport.
The measure is a part of WestJet's plan to enhance transborder service by 11% during the summer. Utah's capital joins Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, and Anchorage, Alaska, as the newest U.S. options the airline plans to offer next year.
Airline officials said they believe the move will be "monumental" for business and leisure travel between Salt Lake City and Edmonton, offering Canadians "nonstop access to Utah's scenic landscapes."
Utahns, on the other hand, will have nonstop access to places like the Royal Alberta Museum and Art Gallery of Alberta, as well as the scenic wonders Alberta has to offer. Its many options include Elk Island National Park, about 30 miles east of Edmonton.
Per Google Maps, the city of over 1 million people is also about 195-270 miles from Canada's popular Jasper National Park, depending on the route taken. While Calgary is closer, Edmonton is also well within a day's drive of Banff National Park, among other scenic options.
"Salt Lake is thrilled to welcome WestJet to town," Bill Wyatt, executive director of the Salt Lake City International Airport, said in the statement. "Creating more connectivity between Salt Lake and Canada — one of Utah's largest markets — will create a more seamless experience for passengers traveling to Alberta."
Since it's a seasonal service, Edmonton Oilers and Utah Hockey Clubs fans may have to find connecting flights or view other options if they plan to travel to the cities' respective homesites now that the two cities are linked through the NHL. The league's regular season typically runs from early October through mid-April. Should either side end up in the playoffs, the postseason tends to run through most of June.
But WestJet's plan would make Edmonton the fourth Canadian city with nonstop service to Salt Lake City. There are currently 32 weekly nonstop flights to Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver from Salt Lake City International Airport through various airlines.
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