WestJet launches Toronto links to Cardiff and Glasgow

Low-cost Canadian carrier WestJet will start operating direct services to Toronto from both Glasgow and Cardiff airports next May.

The inaugural Glasgow flight to Toronto Pearson International airport will take off on May 15, 2026, with WestJet operating four services per week with a Boeing 737 Max aircraft.

It is the first time WestJet will have operated at Glasgow since 2022.

The Cardiff-Toronto flights will launch on May 23, 2026, marking the first direct air connection between Wales and Canada in nearly two decades.

The new Toronto routes will link the Welsh and Scottish cities to the fifth largest city in North America and provide further onward connectivity across Canada, thanks to WestJet’s extensive network from Toronto.

Matt Hazlewood, chief commercial officer at Glasgow Airport’s parent company AGS Airports, said: “Glasgow Airport has a close affinity with WestJet, due to the fact it was the first UK airport the airline ever operated from when it first touched down back in 2015.

“The airline’s decision to re-establish this route highlights its confidence in the Glasgow market and demonstrates the strong demand that clearly exists from both leisure and business passengers for transatlantic connectivity.

“With Glasgow playing host to the Commonwealth Games next year, the timing of this announcement couldn’t be better.”

Cardiff Airport said the addition of WestJet’s Toronto service marks its first new Canadian connection since 2008.

Jon Bridge, chief executive of Cardiff Airport, said: “This new Toronto route marks an exciting milestone in our growth and a major step forward in reconnecting Wales with North America.

“It will strengthen tourism, create new opportunities for trade and investment, and showcase Wales on the global stage.

“WestJet’s confidence in Cardiff reflects the growing demand for international travel from Wales, the southwest of England and the Midlands.”

Chris White-DeVries, senior airport affairs manager at WestJet, added: “Cardiff is a vibrant capital with a proud and rich history, and we see huge potential in connecting it directly with Toronto, a key gateway to North America.”

Eluned Morgan MS, First Minister of Wales, commented: “This is welcome news for passengers, businesses and our tourism industries, both in Wales and Canada.

“With good connections to other Canadian cities, the new Toronto route will open up new economic opportunities for Wales in North America.”

Furthermore, the new routes launch ahead of Canada’s co-hosting of the Fifa World Cup 2026 in June and July next summer.