WestJet Cancels 4 Boeing 737 MAX Routes To Europe: See Full List Now

Published Oct 16, 2026, 1:00 PM EDT Journalist – Aaron is an aviation and travel journalist with 14 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry. His background spans airport operations, aviation infrastructure, and travel consulting, having worked with global organizations across New Zealand, Europe, and North America. Combining industry expertise with firsthand travel experience across more than 52 countries and five continents, Aaron covers airlines, airports, aviation policy, and the wider travel sector. He is based in Canterbury, New Zealand. His work has been published in Simple Flying and featured by MSN, SAM CHUI Aviation & Travel, EIN News, Pakistan Defence, and Climate Depot. Canada's second-largest airline, and second busiest by number of passengers served, WestJet has cut four routes from Canada to Europe on its Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in recent years. The airline ended its route from Halifax to Glasgow in 2022, while Halifax to Madrid and Copenhagen ended this year. The outlier in all of this is the airline's nonstop service from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) to Glasgow, the sole service in this analysis to be cut from the country's largest city. Let's examine these cuts using data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company. Glasgow Loses Two Nonstop Links With The MAX 8 Credit: Dutchmen Photography | Shutterstock WestJet launched its first services to Glasgow from Halifax back in 2015, and operated these on a Northern Hemisphere summer season rotation up until 2019. Of course, the COVID-19 Pandemic put a pause on these operations in 2020 and 2021, and the airline resumed the service in 2022. Loading map… Drag to explore Glasgow was added by WestJet in 2026 from Toronto, a route that was served throughout the summer season. This route was canceled after just one summer, and now all services to Scotland are funneled to Edinburgh Airport (EDI), with the carrier flying nonstop from Calgary International Airport (YYC), Toronto, and Halifax. From To Last Year Served Aircraft Halifax (YHZ) Glasgow (GLA) 2022 Boeing 737 MAX 8 Toronto (YYZ) Glasgow (GLA) 2026 Boeing 737 MAX 8 This leaves the Canadian carrier with just four United Kingdom gateways. These are being London Heathrow (LHR), London Gatwick (LGW), Edinburgh, and Cardiff (CWL)​​​. Madrid and Copenhagen Were Short-Lived Credit: Ross Howey Photo | Shutterstock WestJet added the Spanish capital of Madrid as part of a transatlantic network expansion from Halifax in 2026. The route was served to Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD) onboard the airline's MAX 8 for the 2026 summer season, and after just a few months, the airline has ultimately pulled the pin without plans to resume the route in 2027 as yet. From To Last Year Served Aircraft Halifax (YHZ) Madrid (MAD) 2026 Boeing 737 MAX 8 Halifax (YHZ) Copenhagen (CPH) 2026 Boeing 737 MAX 8 The airline made similar moves with its first service to Denmark. Flights were operated from Halifax through the 2026 summer to Copenhagen Airport (CPH), with the airline axing the route after just one season. This leaves Madrid and Copenhagen unserved by WestJet; however, Air Canada, Canada's flag carrier operates to these airports from Toronto and Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL). A Look At WestJet's Transatlantic Operations In The Last Decade Credit: Wangkun Jia | Shutterstock WestJet has gradually grown its European network, and looking at data over the last decade, the airline has grown from 516 flights in 2016 to 1,643 this year alone. The airline's addition of the 787 Dreamliner and retirement of the 767-300ER have significantly boosted its transatlantic operations. From its beginning in 1994, WestJet was first developed as a low-cost carrier. Year WestJet's Departures To Europe % Operated By The 737 2016 516 47 2017 512 40 2018 647 46 2019 435 30 2020-2021 COVID-19 Pandemic and MAX Grounding - 2022 577 35 2023 Hub consolidation to Western Canada, moved to widebody operations to Europe from Calgary. - 2024 720 62 2025 1,187 63 2026 1,643 70 It has, however, over the last three decades, established itself as the country's second-largest airline and more of a hybrid operator. It has developed a modest onboard product, and its new aircraft, including the MAX and Dreamliner, provide comfortable onboard experiences for its short-haul and long-haul networks. WestJet is primarily owned by private equity firm Onex Corporation, while Delta Air Lines, Korean Air, and Air France-KLM own minority stakes.