Canada's second-largest airline is scaling back its European ambitions. WestJet has confirmed it will not operate three long-haul routes planned for 2027, meaning it exits Glasgow, Copenhagen and Madrid entirely — two of those cities it only served for a single season.
The Glasgow cut is the biggest surprise. WestJet flew from Toronto Pearson to Glasgow four times weekly in 2026 using a 174-seat Boeing 737 MAX 8, ending on September 19, and had pencilled in the same schedule for 2027. Demand was reportedly decent, but the route apparently underperformed on yields — especially with WestJet's own Toronto–Edinburgh service still running next door. Rather than split demand across two Scottish cities, the airline will consolidate on Edinburgh, where daily MAX 8 flights face Air Canada's up-to-daily 787-9. Air Transat becomes the only carrier left on Toronto–Glasgow, using an A321LR. Glasgow isn't a new casualty for WestJet either: the airline has launched the route three times before, first with 737-700s via Halifax in 2015-2018, then with MAX 8s nonstop in 2022, then again in 2026.
The other two cancellations end first-ever nonstop links from Halifax Stanfield. Copenhagen launched May 28, 2026, running four times weekly until September 7 — a roughly seven-and-a-half-hour inbound block time against headwinds. Madrid started even earlier, on May 15, with three to four weekly departures through September 29. Both were to return in 2027; neither will now.
The Halifax numbers tell the story. Booking data suggests very few passengers actually stayed in Copenhagen — around 62% originated or ended there but connected onward through Halifax to Toronto, Calgary or Vancouver. Madrid was even more connect-heavy at roughly 67%. Traffic grew dramatically off a tiny base (up an estimated 455% locally to Copenhagen, 740% to Madrid), but with jet fuel prices high and so many passengers bought as connections, the economics clearly didn't stack up.
For travellers, the practical takeaway: if you were eyeing any of these routes for summer 2027, you'll need to rebook. Halifax's new Lisbon service is still on sale — and interestingly, it's the one WestJet can't easily cancel, because Lisbon's notoriously slot-restricted airport could make a future return nearly impossible. WestJet's other 2026 European launches also remain bookable for 2027: Toronto to Cardiff and Ponta Delgada, plus Reykjavík from both Edmonton and Winnipeg. WestJet-based flyers in Scotland can still reach Toronto via Edinburgh, and Copenhagen and Madrid remain reachable from Halifax through Air Transat and other carriers via connections.
It's a useful reminder that seasonal transatlantic routes launched with fanfare can vanish within a year, so it pays to book summer flights on established routes — or grab a new one early before demand data seals its fate.
