Air Canada, WestJet announce 6 new Vancouver routes

Vancouver International Airport (YVR) in British Columbia is getting some new cross-border routes.

Canadian Airlines announced on Monday, three new routes between Vancouver and the US for the upcoming summer. The airline will add service to Nashville, Tampa and Raleigh, North Carolina.

Nashville service will begin May 1, 2025 and operate four times a week seasonally until October 30, 2025.

Flights to Tampa take off on June 3, 2025 and will operate only two days a week year-round. Finally, flights to Raleigh will operate three times a week seasonally from June 4, 2025 until September 29, 2025.

Upgrade clearing less? Airlines say many passengers only pay for first class seats

Furthermore, the airline is adding more frequency on three existing routes from Vancouver to Austin, Denver and Miami.

While Air Canada’s expansion may be the most epic, Canadian low-cost airline WestJet announced last week its own expansion in Vancouver. It will provide one new route to Austin starting May 11, 2025 and operating three times a week.

WestJet’s Austin service joins the new service announced previously route to Boston and Tampa for the upcoming summer. Those were revealed just days before the Austin route announcement.

While both carriers are welcoming growing demand for travel in both directions between Western Canada and the United States, it’s also possible that some of this expansion is designed to keep competitors at bay. compete for market share, especially for Air Canada.

As the largest airline in Canada, Air Canada boasts a strong domestic, cross-border and international network that serves many locals.

Meanwhile, WestJet is not as big as Air Canada, but is the country’s second largest airline and is vying to become a strong competitor to the national airline.

Like in the US, Canadian airlines are no strangers to turf wars, and this latest expansion by Air Canada could be seen as a defensive move, at least in Austin and Tampa. , designed to prevent traffic ceding to WestJet.

Check value: Are airline credit cards valid anymore?

Of course, WestJet hasn’t announced service from Vancouver to Nashville or Raleigh, so these new markets will open up new nonstop routes for local flights on both ends. (However, WestJet has announced new flights to Raleigh from Calgary, Alberta.)

While passengers will certainly benefit from increased service and competition, Air Canada claims that this expansion will also attract travelers traveling from Vancouver to the airline’s destinations across the Pacific. .

“Air Canada continues to strengthen its position as the leading airline between Canada and the US with new flights to rapidly growing metropolitan areas and sought-after destinations. … At the gateway to the Pacific Air Canada’s Ocean, our newest offerings further strengthen our sixth freedom strategy by effectively connecting North America and growing international destinations across the Asia-Pacific region Duong,” Mark Galardo, Air Canada’s chief network officer, said in a statement dad.

And, in a rare move for an airline, Galardo said that “there will be more news about the network soon.” Follow TPG for the latest information.

Related reading: