Airport traffic surges despite fewer U.S. flights By: Gabrielle Piché Posted: 5:42 PM CDT Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026

The Winnipeg airport has recorded an uptick in traffic this summer, despite the loss of notable U.S. flights.

The Winnipeg Airports Authority counted 474 flights during the week of July 13 to 19. One year earlier, it was 441 during the week of July 14 to 20.

That’s despite the loss of WestJet flights to Atlanta, Nashville and summertime Orlando routes.

“We’ve seen some adjustments to trans-border service reflecting continued softer demand for travel to the U.S.,” said Kerilee Falloon, spokesperson for the airport authority, in a statement.

“(But) overall travel through our airport has been strong.”

WestJet announced in November it would begin year-round trips to Cancun, Mexico, and add routes to Reykjavik, Iceland and London, Ont. The new routes started in June and May, respectively.

Porter Airlines launched direct routes to Hamilton and Montreal earlier this year.

They followed WestJet’s cuts from Winnipeg to Nashville and Atlanta. The decision to end those was made in winter, media reports at the time show.

“We’ve worked closely with airlines to adapt to travel patterns and ensure we’re connecting our community with the destinations people want to visit,” Falloon wrote.

The Winnipeg Richardson International Airport has more flight routes, she noted: 39 in July, from 37 one year earlier.

Falloon didn’t provide customer traffic numbers for July but said there’s been growth. Her response was given last week, before WestJet flight attendants went on strike Sunday. Their employer and union reached a tentative deal Monday.

On Tuesday, most WestJet flights in Winnipeg ran as planned, as of 4:30 p.m.

Nick Saunders and his family touched down in the city after a two-day delay following a trip to Vancouver.

“We usually fly and travel every summer,” Saunders said, adding that higher gas and flight prices wouldn’t change his plans — but the family would avoid travel to the United States.

The Winnipeg airport welcomed 1.14 million passengers from April to June, which represents a six per cent increase from the same time period in 2025 (1.07 million passengers), Falloon said.

Even so, Statistics Canada data show 12,682 arrivals to the Winnipeg airport in June 2026 — a 17.5 per cent drop from the past year.

“We can see people choosing Canada.”

Tapping into airlines’ desire to invest in Winnipeg is key, said Angela Cassie, Travel Manitoba’s interim chief executive.

The Crown corporation has leaned into marketing the province to a domestic audience.

“While the cost of fuel and global uncertainty have had an impact, we can see people choosing Canada,” Cassie said. “And, in that choice, picking Manitoba.”

There’s been “optimism” in Manitoba’s tourism industry this summer — big festival turnouts and more year-over-year lodge bookings, Cassie said.

Flooding has affected some tourism. For example, Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival in Dauphin had to be cancelled. Cassie said weather has caused more localized disruptions than last year’s wildfires.

Tourism numbers for summer 2026 likely won’t be tabulated until 2027.

Meantime, North Dakota has been marketing itself in Manitoba. The state’s tourism branch placed billboard signs to remind passersby North Dakota is “close to home.”

The tourism entity has kept an advertising presence in Manitoba for decades, communications manager Kim Schmidt wrote in a statement.

“We hope it conveys our message that Canadians are always welcome in North Dakota,” she said.

Nationally, Canadians’ return trips from the United States increased 9.9 per cent year-over-year in May. Visits to Canada by Americans jumped 13 per cent during the same period, Statistics Canada reported.

“We are seeing an upward trend,” Dannielle Melquist, Visit Fargo-Moorhead’s marketing director, said about Manitoba tourists.

Political comments from tourists are seemingly fewer, Melquist said, and traffic is comparable to 2023.

“The money doesn’t go very far.”

John Wall is among the Manitobans who recently travelled to the United States. He made a day trip; normally he’d go for three or four days.

“Everything… costs more,” Wall said about the cost-of-living, pausing while grocery shopping. “The money doesn’t go very far… and your income is not double.”

Wall said he hasn’t flown on a plane lately because of ticket prices.

WestJet ended its direct flight to Palm Springs, Calif., one month earlier than scheduled in March 2025. It initially launched its Winnipeg-Atlanta route in September 2023; Nashville’s began a year later.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com