The world has gotten a little smaller for travellers looking for non-stop routes from Halifax Stanfield International Airport. WestJet is not bringing back its flights to Madrid and Copenhagen for the 2027 season. Icelandair is also dropping its crossing to Reykjavík. “As much as it can change operational impacts, it isn’t a big surprise that airlines routes can come and go,” says CAA Atlantic regional travel manager Melissa Chown. In other words, the demand wasn’t there to keep the flights going to those destinations but that doesn’t mean people are stranded. “The good news is we still are in an extraordinary fortunate position here in Halifax. We still have the biggest lift that we have seen to Europe in our history,” Chown sys. There are still 12 European destinations available from Halifax. Strong usage of those flights as well as to the Caribbean and Mexico has numbers hitting record highs. “We are projecting to see about 4.4 million passengers come through the airport by the end of this year,” says Jessica Kinney, a communications advisor with the Halifax International Airport Authority. Despite being down three destinations, negotiations are taking place now that could lead to other cities being added for next season. “The airlines would be evaluating and making their decisions this time of year for any summer services that would be taking place next year,” she says. As European travel winds down for the season, sun destinations will soon be the go-to travel spots. For many, the Halifax airport will be their starting point. For next year, officials expect numbers to remain relatively flat, staying around the 4.5 million passengers who moved through the airport this year. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
