WestJet Expands Winter Sun Schedule With More Flights From Western Canada

August 18, 2026 Team Contributor

Canadians looking to trade winter coats for swimsuits will have more ways to do it this winter, as WestJet prepares its biggest-ever schedule to Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Calgary-based airline says its winter 2026/27 schedule will offer up to 1,252 weekly flights across 88 non-stop routes between Canada and Latin America and the Caribbean. Capacity across the region will grow 12 per cent year over year, with several Western Canadian cities seeing particularly strong increases.

The announcement comes just weeks after WestJet unveiled five new winter routes. WestJet’s earlier winter route expansion included new services connecting Calgary, Winnipeg, Regina and Ottawa with popular destinations in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America.

Western Canada Takes the Lead

For travellers across the Prairies, the numbers are hard to miss.

Saskatoon is getting the biggest capacity increase, with WestJet planning a 77 per cent year-over-year boost. The airline will add a weekly flight to both Puerto Vallarta and Cancun, taking each route from four to five weekly flights during peak travel periods.

Edmonton will see capacity rise 34 per cent. WestJet plans to double weekly flights from Edmonton to both Los Cabos and Montego Bay compared with last winter.

Calgary is also receiving a significant increase, with capacity to Latin America and the Caribbean up 18 per cent. The schedule includes twice-daily flights to Los Cabos, additional daily service to Cancun and the introduction of non-stop service to Mérida, Mexico.

Winnipeg’s capacity will increase 26 per cent, with additional flights to Liberia in Costa Rica and Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos in Mexico. The airline is also adding new non-stop service to Belize City and Punta Cana.

Regina rounds out the Western Canadian expansion with a 64 per cent year-over-year capacity increase, including new non-stop service to Los Cabos.

More Sun Routes, More Ways to Get Away

WestJet says the growth comes through a combination of increased flight frequencies, larger aircraft and new routes.

John Weatherill, WestJet‘s Executive Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer, said, “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.”  

And for those already thinking about booking, Canadian travellers can also revisit WestJet Vacations’ early-booking offer for winter travel, announced earlier this year.

Calgary Adds a South American Connection

WestJet’s winter expansion goes beyond the usual beach destinations.

The airline is launching non-stop service between Calgary and São Paulo, Brazil, creating a direct connection between Western Canada and South America. The approximately 14-hour flight will use a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

The Calgary-São Paulo route is scheduled to begin November 8, 2026, with three flights per week.

WestJet is also partnering with LATAM to provide access to more than 60 additional destinations across South America through interline connections available via WestJet.com.

That gives the Calgary expansion a wider reach than simply adding another winter escape. Travellers can use São Paulo as part of a broader South American itinerary, with connecting options beyond Brazil.

A Bigger Winter Schedule for Canadians

The latest announcement builds on WestJet’s broader push into sun destinations for the 2026/27 winter season. Its July route announcement introduced five new services, while the latest schedule adds more frequencies and capacity across several existing markets.

For Canadians staring down another winter, that translates into more choices from the cities they actually live in.

Whether the plan is a week in Mexico, a Caribbean beach break, or a longer South American adventure, WestJet is adding more options to the winter timetable.

And for anyone who would rather swap snow boots for sandals, that may be the part of the announcement worth paying attention to.

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