Halifax Airport Maintains European Links Despite Route Cuts to Copenhagen, Madrid and Reykjavik
WestJet and Icelandair have cancelled planned direct flights from Halifax Stanfield International Airport to Copenhagen, Madrid, and Reykjavik. The airport continues to serve 12 European destinations and projects a record 4.4 million passengers in 2026, while airlines add new domestic and sun routes.
Despite the recent cancellation of direct flights to Copenhagen, Madrid, and Reykjavik from Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ), demand for European travel remains strong.
WestJet removed all flights planned for 2027 from Halifax to Copenhagen and Madrid. Separately, Icelandair announced in September that it would end its direct service to Halifax, with the final flight scheduled for Oct. 18. Travel agents noted that these losses were not surprising, citing route performance and the geographic proximity of other destinations as factors influencing airline decisions.
Even with the loss of three routes, Halifax Stanfield International Airport still offers connections to 12 European destinations. Travelers remain connected to Spain via WestJet’s Halifax-Barcelona service. Discover provides non-stop Halifax-Frankfurt service between May and November, while Air Canada offers year-round non-stop service between Halifax and London-Heathrow.
The Halifax International Airport Authority projects a record 4.4 million passengers will travel through the airport in 2026. Airlines continue to adjust services based on factors such as fuel prices, though overall capacity is expanding. WestJet’s projected seat capacity for 2027 is 25 per cent over 2025.
Alongside European connections, carriers are introducing new domestic and international sun destination routes. Porter has newly announced domestic expansion to London, Ontario. New sun destination routes include Barbados via Air Canada, Cancun via WestJet, and Punta Cana via Sunwing.