WestJet plans to halt flights between Toronto and Montreal for the winter in a continuation of its retreat from short-haul routes in Eastern sa国际传媒 to retrench in the West.
The route will be cut from the schedule for six months, starting late October and resuming in late April, the Calgary-based company said.
"This route was suspended as a result of performance and in alignment with our strategic direction to expand our presence in Eastern sa国际传媒 this winter with increased non-stop connectivity to Western sa国际传媒, as well as providing more affordable leisure and sun travel opportunities across sa国际传媒," spokeswoman Madison Kruger said in an email.
The airline runs flights once a day along the busy Toronto-Montreal corridor, which currently sees four carriers — Air sa国际传媒, WestJet, Porter Airlines and Air Transat — operate more than 350 trips per week, according to aviation data firm Cirium.
WestJet now flies 80 per cent fewer trips between sa国际传媒's two biggest cities than in 2019 as the company has slashed routes in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic sa国际传媒 to refocus on the West — where it faces a growing raft of rivals, including Flair Airlines and Lynx Air.
Meanwhile, Air sa国际传媒 has been adding service to its main Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver markets and recently axed a number of regional routes in Western sa国际传媒 as well as direct service to some larger Western Canadian cities, such as Regina and Saskatoon. In late August it cut six major routes out of Calgary from its winter schedule.
WestJet's acquisition of Sunwing Airlines and a related vacation division opens the gate to sun destinations reached from airports in Eastern sa国际传媒, an area to which it remains "extremely committed," Kruger said. But its regional stake east of the Prairies is thin. Out of Toronto, the carrier will fly to only two Canadian airports east of that city come November — Ottawa and Halifax — according to its website.
Founded as a regional upstart in Calgary in 1996, WestJet has grown to serve nearly a third of sa国际传媒's domestic air travel market, while Air sa国际传媒 accounts for nearly half.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2023.
Companies in this story: (TSX:AC, TSX:TRZ)
The Canadian Press
