WestJet expands Latin America and Caribbean network for winter 2026/2027 season
WestJet has announced the largest winter schedule in its history to Latin America and the Caribbean, boosting its overall capacity by 12% year-over-year (YoY) compared to the previous season. The Canadian carrier is solidifying its strategic position in the sun-and-beach segment, leading air connectivity from Canada to key destinations such as Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and Aruba.
John Weatherill, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of the WestJet Group, highlighted that the expansion comes in response to sustained growth in leisure travel demand, facilitating point-to-point connectivity and optimizing the network to connect Canadian communities with their primary vacation destinations.
Strategic growth across Western Canadian gateways
The capacity boost will be delivered through a combination of increased weekly frequencies, the introduction of new point-to-point routes, and the deployment of higher-capacity aircraft. Key Western Canadian cities represent the most significant gains:
- Saskatoon: Registers a 77% YoY capacity increase. WestJet will add an extra weekly frequency to both Puerto Vallarta and Cancun, expanding from four to five weekly flights on both sectors during peak periods.
- Regina: Sees a 64% YoY increase, highlighted by the inaugural launch of non-stop flights between Regina and Los Cabos.
- Edmonton: Posts a 34% YoY growth, doubling its weekly frequencies to Los Cabos and Montego Bay compared to the previous year.
- Winnipeg: Expands capacity by 26% YoY, adding weekly frequencies to four destinations (Liberia, Costa Rica, as well as Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, and Los Cabos in Mexico) alongside new non-stop services to Belize City and Punta Cana.
- Calgary: The airline’s primary hub will record an 18% YoY capacity increase to Mexico, featuring twice-daily flights to Los Cabos, higher daily frequency density to Cancun, and the launch of a new non-stop route to Merida.
→ WestJet Secures 13 Boeing 737-10 Jets Through Lease Agreement with Aviation Capital Group
South American entry with Boeing 787 Dreamliner and interline expansion
A major milestone of the winter schedule is the launch of the only direct service between Western Canada and South America, connecting Calgary with São Paulo, Brazil. The route will have a block time of approximately 14 hours and will be operated using Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
Through a commercial partnership with LATAM Airlines, WestJet passengers can connect to over 60 additional destinations across South America on a single itinerary via direct interline booking on WestJet.com.
WestJet Boeing 787 fleet deployment
The São Paulo route complements WestJet’s winter widebody network operated by its Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which includes:
- Winter seasonal routes: Return of targeted Boeing 787 operations to Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, and Maui.
- Year-round intercontinental routes: Continuous daily 787 services from Calgary to London Heathrow Airport, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, and Tokyo-Narita.
- Extended seasonal routes: Flights to Rome and Seoul-Incheon will extend their operating season through November 2026, resuming services in March 2027 (while during the Northern Summer, the fleet deploys to Dublin, Edinburgh, and Barcelona).
With this expansion, WestJet maximizes long-haul fleet utilization while strengthening its footprint across transatlantic and Inter-American markets.
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Un apasionado por la aviación, Fundador y CEO de Aviación al Día.