Halifax Airport's Transatlantic Expansion: 13 European Routes and Growing

In recent years, Halifax / Stanfield International Airport has seen steady growth. The airport handled 3.9 million passengers last year, up 11.2% from the previous year, and it is expected to reach 4.2 million travelers by the end of this year. In addition, the airport has expanded its network as well. WestJet added seasonal weekly services to Regina and Saskatoon, and Porter Airlines launched daily flights to Hamilton.

Meanwhile, Air Canada, the airport’s largest carrier, has announced plans to begin weekly service to Nassau and Montego from December 2025. Alongside these domestic and leisure additions, the airport’s international reach has continued to grow. Halifax now serves roughly 30 international destinations. Particularly, this year, it has seen a notable increase in its transatlantic links. The airport now has 13 routes to Europe, the highest number it has ever recorded.

WestJet Leads Halifax’s Rapid Growth In Europe

WestJet has been key to Halifax’s growing transatlantic network. In its summer 2026 schedule, the airline has added three more European destinations: Madrid, Lisbon, and Copenhagen. Services to all three cities will begin in May and will further expand the carrier’s presence in the region. These additions follow the launch of Amsterdam and Barcelona earlier this year. The airline has also resumed its Paris service after a three-year break.

WestJet last operated the route in summer 2022 before discontinuing it, but the carrier has continued to see strong demand for Paris from its wider network. Calgary–Paris has performed steadily, and this year, it introduced a third Paris route from St. John’s, indicating firm interest in the market. As of 2025, WestJet serves Amsterdam, Barcelona, Dublin, Edinburgh, London Gatwick, and Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport from Halifax, operating all of these routes with its Boeing 737 MAX fleet.

Zurich Joined Halifax’s Map As Edelweiss Launched A New Seasonal Route

Beyond WestJet’s growth, Halifax added one new European carrier this year. In July, Swiss leisure airline Edelweiss launched its first-ever service from Zurich, which marked the airport’s inaugural connection to the Swiss hub. It is the longest route from Halifax airport, about 2,898 nautical miles. Furthermore, over time, the airport’s European network has shifted as airlines have adjusted capacity and seasonal demand patterns.

According to aviation analytics firm Cirium’s historical schedule data, Frankfurt has been one of the most consistent destinations, although the operators have changed. Air Transat and Condor both served the route in earlier years; today, it is offered seasonally by Discover Airlines, which began flying to Halifax in 2022. Similarly, London has also been one of the consistent destinations. Currently, London Heathrow remains the airport’s only year-round European service; Air Canada operates a daily flight on the route.

Besides, several destinations that once formed part of the airport’s European network, such as Glasgow, Munich, Paris Orly, Belfast, and Stockholm, are no longer operated. WestJet’s previous Glasgow service is one of the more notable examples. The carrier launched the route back in 2015 and saw strong demand, but after suspending it during the pandemic, it ultimately withdrew the service. At the time, WestJet attributed the decision to industry-wide staffing pressures, inflation, and the need to reallocate aircraft to higher-priority routes.

Icelandair To Reduce Flights On Reykjavik Route Next Summer

In addition, Icelandair has also contributed to Halifax’s expanding European network. The airline resumed its Reykjavik summer seasonal service last year after a six-year hiatus; Cirium data shows that between 2007 and 2018, it had been a consistent transatlantic operator at the airport. Following its return, Icelandair scheduled three weekly flights for the summer season, but it plans to reduce the service to two weekly departures next summer.

Indeed, Halifax’s overall European connectivity has expanded significantly since the recovery period began. Compared to 2022, the airport’s European network has grown by roughly 64%, while available capacity has increased by about 66%, according to Cirium data.