WestJet expands transatlantic and domestic network, strengthening Halifax as Canada's Atlantic gateway

WestJet inaugurated nonstop service between Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) and Copenhagen Airport (CPH) on May 28, 2026. The first Copenhagen-bound flight arrived at 10:08 a.m. on May 29 following an overnight crossing, where passengers and airport staff marked the occasion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the gate.

The seasonal route operates four times per week — Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from Halifax — through September 27, 2026. Flight WS044 departs Halifax at 10:30 p.m. and arrives in Copenhagen at 10:10 a.m. the following day (6h 40m); WS045 departs Copenhagen at 11:45 a.m. and lands in Halifax at 2:15 p.m. (7h 30m). Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft are used throughout.

WestJet announced the route in November 2025 as part of a strategy to position Halifax as a gateway for Atlantic Canada, alongside new Halifax services to Madrid and Lisbon. The carrier's network planners are primarily targeting connecting traffic via Halifax rather than a large local origin-and-destination market, leveraging WestJet's codeshare with SAS, which offers onward connections from Copenhagen to ten European cities, per Aviation Week.

With the launch, WestJet becomes the only airline offering a direct link between the Canadian Maritimes and Denmark. Air Canada and SAS serve Copenhagen from Toronto year-round, with Air Canada adding seasonal Montreal service, but no carrier had previously connected Halifax to the Danish capital, according to Simple Flying.

Sources

• https://westjet.mediaroom.com/2025-11-18-WestJet-expands-transatlantic-and-domestic-network,-strengthening-Halifax-as-Canadas-Atlantic-gateway
• https://simpleflying.com/8-hour-flights-westjet-launches-new-737-max-route
• https://simpleflying.com/notable-airline-routes-210
• https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/airports-networks/50-new-routes-launching-june-2026