WestJet Is Flying to Eight European Cities in Summer 2026

Canada's second-largest airline is opening a new chapter in its transatlantic history. As of today, May 1, 2026, the date its Halifax–Lisbon service begins, WestJet has embarked on the most expansive summer European expansion in its two-decade international history, launching eight new nonstop routes to Europe across a programme that covers Portugal, Spain, Scotland, Wales, Denmark, the Azores, and Iceland. Every one of these routes is operated by the Boeing 737 MAX 8, and the scale of the push has repositioned WestJet as the second-largest narrowbody transatlantic operator in the world after Icelandair.

The Scale of the Expansion

WestJet is Canada's second-largest airline. In the critically important summer month of July, when demand and fares are highest, the carrier plans an average of 16 daily departures to Europe. The airline's activity in July increased by a substantial 25% compared to the prior record, albeit from a relatively low foundation.

WestJet has added eight routes to Europe, all of which will be on the Boeing 737 MAX 8. It will fly from Toronto to Cardiff, Glasgow, and Ponta Delgada, from Halifax to Copenhagen, Lisbon, and Madrid, and from Edmonton and Winnipeg to Keflavik. 

The Canadian carrier plans 26 European routes this year, 20 of which are on the MAX. In 2026, WestJet's transatlantic offering on the 737 MAX has jumped by a massive 44% year over year. 

Six airlines plan Boeing 737 flights between North America and Europe this year. With 1,710 departures, WestJet plans to be the second-largest user, after Icelandair.

Route 1: Halifax to Lisbon

This article was written on May 1. On this day, WestJet's next 737 MAX 8-operated route will begin. It is from Halifax to the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, which is a brand-new city pair. WestJet will serve Lisbon for the first time. Covering just 2,420 nautical miles (4,482 km) each way, the carrier runs five times weekly using the 174-seat MAX 8. While food and drink are included, there is no seat-back entertainment, but passengers may stream entertainment to their own device using the airline's app and pay to use Starlink Wi-Fi.

Halifax to Lisbon is WestJet's sole daytime service to Europe. Depending on the specific flight, WestJet will land in Portugal at 9:45 pm, 9:55 pm, or 10:35 pm. On the way back to Halifax, flights will leave at 6:00 am, 6:10 am, or 6:15 am. 

Route 2: Toronto to Glasgow

WestJet will return to Glasgow after a four-year absence. It will compete directly with Air Transat (six weekly during the summer). WestJet last operated to Glasgow amid the pandemic in 2022, when it pulled out and moved the Toronto route to Edinburgh in 2024. In 2026, it will fly from Canada's busiest airport to both Scottish cities for the first time. 

On May 15, 2026, WestJet will reintroduce its Toronto to Glasgow service, operating four weekly flights. The route will be in direct competition with Air Transat and will offer a maximum block time of 7 hours and 10 minutes.

Route 3: Halifax to Madrid

Also on May 15, 2026, WestJet will introduce three to four weekly flights between Halifax and Madrid. This new service, with a block time of 7 hours and 20 minutes, will connect Canadian travelers with Spain. WestJet has no prior flights on this route. 

Halifax will see its role strengthened as WestJet's Atlantic gateway, with new seasonal service to Madrid, Lisbon, Copenhagen and Detroit, marking the airline's largest-ever offering of European destinations from Nova Scotia.

Route 4: Toronto to Cardiff 

On May 22, WestJet will launch flights from Toronto to Cardiff (four weekly MAX 8), with this city pair last served by Zoom in 2008. When flights begin, WestJet will fly to five airports in the UK for the first time. 

At 2,993 nautical miles (5,543 km), this is WestJet's new longest single-aisle service to Europe. It exceeds what was number one, Toronto to Edinburgh, by 3%. And with a block time of 7h 55m, it will be the longest in this sense, too. 

WestJet will be the latest carrier to attempt Canada-Cardiff flights. Air Transat flew from Toronto until 2004. The now-defunct Zoom replaced it and operated until 2008. With a much lower trip cost than a widebody, it will be a less risky opportunity. 

Route 5: Halifax to Copenhagen 

On May 28, WestJet will lift off from Halifax to Copenhagen (three to four weekly MAX 8), becoming Halifax's new longest service operated by a Canadian carrier. The route to Denmark will benefit from WestJet's codeshare agreement with SAS, which involves ten cities in Copenhagen. 

This route, with a block time of 7 hours and 30 minutes, will open up more travel options between Canada and Denmark.

Route 6: Toronto to Ponta Delgada 

On June 12, WestJet will take off from Toronto to Ponta Delgada, in the Azores (three to four weekly MAX 8). Until 2020, this market had not been served, at least not for a long time. Azores Airlines launched flights that year, which continue in 2026. Critically, Air Canada and WestJet will also serve the market this year, marking the first time more than one airline has operated. 

Routes 7 and 8: Edmonton and Winnipeg to Reykjavik 

On June 26, WestJet will inaugurate flights from Edmonton to Keflavik (weekly MAX 8), which was last served by Icelandair in 2020. The next day, the carrier will take off from Winnipeg to Keflavik (weekly MAX 8), which the now-defunct Iceland Express served until 15 years ago. 

Winnipeg will regain direct transatlantic access with the launch of weekly seasonal flights to Reykjavik, an important link for Manitoba's large Icelandic community. 

In 2026, WestJet will have three routes and a maximum of nine weekly departures to Iceland in the peak summer, ranking third behind Icelandair (833 departures) and Air Canada (191), but well ahead of Air Transat (27). 

Why the MAX 8 Makes This Possible

WestJet's executives say the expanded schedule is enabled by the range capabilities of the 737-8 MAX and reflects a strategic focus on leisure travel and regional growth. 

The MAX 8's ability to reach across the North Atlantic from secondary Canadian cities: Halifax, Edmonton, Winnipeg, without needing a widebody aircraft or a hub connection is the single defining factor behind all eight of these routes. Lower trip costs mean lower break-even load factors, which in turn make thinner routes commercially viable. Where a 767 or an A330 would require substantially more passengers to cover its fixed operating costs, the MAX 8's economics allow WestJet to enter markets that larger aircraft cannot profitably serve.

On board, WestJet's product offers food and drink inclusion on European services with no seat-back entertainment, but with Starlink Wi-Fi available for purchase and personal device streaming through the airline's app. 

WestJet New European Route Operations 

All details based on officially published WestJet schedule data.

Aircraft: All routes operated by Boeing 737 MAX 8 (174 seats). Onboard: food and drink included; Starlink Wi-Fi available for purchase; personal device streaming via WestJet app. All times are local and indicative based on published schedule data. Flight numbers for several of the newer routes have not yet been officially confirmed for all operations. Passengers should verify all schedules directly with WestJet prior to travel.

What This Means for Canadian Travellers

WestJet's eight-route European expansion is the most geographically ambitious programme in the airline's history, and it signals a deliberate strategy to differentiate on route exclusivity rather than compete head-to-head with Air Canada on the busiest corridors. For travellers in Halifax specifically, the new summer of 2026 represents a transformation in European accessibility: Madrid, Lisbon, and Copenhagen are all now reachable on a nonstop WestJet service, opening options that previously required a connection through Toronto, Montreal, or a European hub. The MAX 8 has made this possible, and WestJet is betting on it more aggressively than any other carrier in the Canadian market.