WestJet announced the launch of five new weekly routes for the winter 2026/2027 travel season, with services commencing between November and December 2026. These additions expand WestJet’s network connecting Canadian airports with popular sun destinations in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America.
New Weekly Routes and Start Dates
The new WestJet routes include nonstop weekly service between Calgary (YYC) and Mérida, Mexico (MID), beginning December 17, 2026. Winnipeg (YWG) will gain two weekly flights: one to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (PUJ) starting November 28, 2026, and another to Belize City, Belize (BZE) starting December 14, 2026. Regina (YQR) will receive weekly nonstop service to San José
del Cabo, Mexico (SJD) starting December 14, 2026. Ottawa (YOW) will have a weekly route to Liberia, Costa Rica (LIR) starting December 20, 2026.
Strategic Expansion and Airline Position
John Weatherill, WestJet Executive Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer, stated these route additions meet growing demand for travel options to Mexico and the Latin Caribbean. He emphasized they allow the airline to sustainably expand its schedule and manage fleet during peak winter season. WestJet continues to strengthen its position as Canada’s leading leisure airline to sun destinations, maintaining its status as the top Canadian carrier to Mexico, Belize, and Liberia for the upcoming winter.
During the
winter 2026/2027 peak travel period, WestJet plans to serve 50 sun destinations from 15 Canadian cities, more than any other Canadian airline. The airline connects guests to over 100 destinations in the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia, supported by a fleet of nearly 200 aircraft and over 14,000 employees, including the WestJet Group’s components: WestJet Airlines, WestJet Vacations, Vacances WestJet Québec, and Sunwing Vacations.
Sunwing Vacations’ Winter Package Expansion
Sunwing Vacations, the tour operator within the WestJet Group, announced three new vacation packages for winter 2026/2027. This includes a new package connecting Ottawa and Liberia. Existing popular vacation packages to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic,
and Roatán, Honduras will continue to be offered. The Sunwing winter schedule runs from November 1, 2026, to April 30, 2027, and packages are available for booking on Sunwing.ca.
Airport and Destination Authority Responses
Calgary’s YYC Calgary International Airport highlighted the Mérida route as the only nonstop connection between Mérida and Western Canada. Winnipeg Airports Authority welcomed the two new Winnipeg routes, noting a commitment to offering more warm-weather flight options for Manitobans. Regina International Airport expressed enthusiasm for the San José del Cabo service, citing it as a convenient option during Saskatchewan winters.
Airport Services and Urban Development (ASUR) expressed pleasure at WestJet’s growth
in Mérida, optimistic about the success of the Calgary-Mérida route. Officials at Los Cabos International Airport appreciated the expanded connection to Regina. Costa Rican government and tourism representatives welcomed the Ottawa-Liberia route, noting Canadian passenger traffic to Guanacaste Airport grew 28% in the first half of 2026 compared to 2025, strengthening the region’s tourism economy.
Belize authorities viewed the Winnipeg-Belize City route as an important development to boost air connectivity with Canada, Belize’s key market. These endorsements reinforce WestJet’s expanding network and its role in promoting trade and tourism growth between Canada and these destinations.
Travel Impact and Company Growth
The new routes provide Canadian
travelers with increased weekly direct flights to sun destinations from Western Canada, Winnipeg, Regina, and Ottawa. These options enable more convenient access to beach, cultural, and eco-tourism locations in Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America for the winter 2026/2027 season.
WestJet marked its 30th anniversary in 2026, growing from a startup in 1996 to Canada’s leading leisure airline and largest vacation provider. Following its 2025 merger with Sunwing, the WestJet Group expanded its aircraft and employee base, offering affordable and accessible air and vacation travel with a focus on sustainable growth.
Weatherill summarized the airline’s outlook: “These additions support the
growing demand for options in Mexico and the Latin Caribbean, while sustainably expanding our schedule and managing our fleet during the peak winter travel season. We are excited to offer more ways for guests to trade their snow boots for sandals in the destinations that matter most to them, and we look forward to the travel stories that will take off from these exciting new options.”
