WestJet suspends winter flights to and from Charlottetown

WestJet will not fly out of Charlottetown this winter, the Calgary-based company has announced.

The airline currently has a daily flight to and from Toronto and was planning three flights a week this winter, but all service will now end Nov. 15. Westjet will also not offer winter flights out of Fredericton; Sydney, N.S.; and Quebec City.

WestJet's discount airline, Swoop, will continue to offer service through the winter.

"It's certainly not the news we wanted to hear, but at least they are keeping Swoop here this winter with three flights per week to Toronto, similar to what WestJet would normally do that time of year," said Charlottetown Airport CEO Doug Newson.

"Not the same product, but good to have the seat capacity to Toronto."

In a news release, the airline said the changes are part of a change in strategic focus to concentrate more resources in western Canada.

"We are undertaking these strategic changes in a responsible manner and it was critical to give our guests and the communities as much advance notice as possible," said John Weatherill, WestJet's chief commercial officer.

WestJet plans to release the airline's full winter schedule in August. Managers have said that schedule will include a significant number of sun destinations with flights out of Eastern Canada.

WestJet stopped flying out of Charlottetown when the pandemic struck in 2020, but resumed service in June 2021.