WestJet is cutting another route to the U.S., just weeks before it was scheduled to launch. The Canadian low-cost carrier is blaming the change on a “downward shift in demand for U.S. travel.”
According to a KXAN report on Tuesday, the airline confirmed it will no longer link Vancouver, British Columbia, and Austin, Texas. This new route was first announced in November and scheduled to begin on May 11.
The carrier would have gone head-to-head with Air Canada in the market, offering three-times-weekly service.
Demand Slowdown
A WestJet spokesperson told KXAN: “Due to a downward shift in demand for U.S. travel, WestJet has made the difficult decision to suspend scheduled direct service between Vancouver, British Columbia, and Austin, Texas.”
The spokesperson added that the airline hopes to add the flights in the future. WestJet currently serves Calgary, Alberta, from Austin.
This is not the airline’s first U.S. route cut this year. In March, the carrier removed planned flights between Calgary and New York-LaGuardia, along with Edmonton, Alberta, to Orlando, Florida, per Aeroroutes.
These network shake-ups come as airlines continue to see a downward trend in bookings between the two countries.
