WestJet cuts flight capacity due to jet fuel costs, following Air Canada's lead

A WestJet plane waits at a gate at Calgary International Airport on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh)

WestJet says it is cutting flight capacity due to the soaring price of jet fuel caused by the war in Iran.

The Calgary-based airline says it has reduced capacity by about one per cent in April, three per cent in May and nearly six per cent in June.

WestJet says it hasn’t eliminated any routes so far, but it is “evaluating its summer schedule” with an eye to possible cuts.

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For now, the carrier has consolidated flights on some routes and shortened the travel period for seasonal service to several destinations.

Air Canada announced last week it would suspend six routes, citing fuel costs that render them unprofitable.

The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran launched in late February caused an effective shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, prompting massive spikes in oil prices and even bigger jumps for jet fuel, which remains at double its prewar price despite a shaky ceasefire.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 20, 2026.