WestJet Returns To Amsterdam With Halifax Route

WestJet is set to expand its transatlantic footprint with the launch of a new nonstop service to Amsterdam, marking its return to the city after an absence of more than two years.

The airline will introduce a new route between Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) beginning May 29. The currently unserved 3,043-mi. (2,644-nm) sector will operate six times per week using Boeing 737-8s, making it the airline’s sixth-longest route operated by the aircraft type.

WestJet last served Amsterdam during the winter 2022-23 season with a 3X-weekly service from Calgary International Airport using 787-9s, data provided by OAG Schedules Analyser shows. However, the last flight operated in March 2023.

"WestJet’s new service between Halifax and Amsterdam opens the door for record growth in Nova Scotia through vital investment that strengthens connectivity to Europe, furthering tourism and economic opportunities,” says WestJet’s director of alliances and airport affairs, Jared Mikoch-Gerke.

The new Halifax-Amsterdam service is part of a broader expansion of WestJet’s transatlantic operations from YHZ. The airline will also restore service to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in summer 2025, complementing its existing European network to Dublin, Edinburgh and London Gatwick.

Patricia Vitalis, executive director of operations at AMS, welcomed WestJet’s decision to reinstate service to the Dutch city. “Halifax is an exciting new destination at Schiphol and will be our sixth in Canada,” she says. “The deployment of Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft contributes to our policy to encourage airlines to operate their quietest and cleanest aircraft at Schiphol.”

WestJet already has a longstanding codeshare agreement in place with KLM, meaning passengers will be able to connect to destinations across Europe beyond AMS.

Overall, WestJet plans to offer over 844,000 two-way seats between Canada and Europe during the summer 2025 season across 16 routes, marking year-on-year capacity growth of 5.2%. Analysis of OAG data shows the carrier will have a 6% capacity share of the market, behind Air Canada on 40%, Air Transat on 15.7% and Air France on 6.8%.