WestJet winter 2026-27 new routes: Mérida, Belize and Punta Cana join a 12% bigger sun network

Cover image: a WestJet Boeing 737-800 taxiing at a wintry Calgary International Airport — photo by Johnnyw3, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

WestJet's winter 2026-27 new routes put five fresh dots on the Canadian sun map: Calgary-Mérida (from 17 December), Winnipeg-Punta Cana (28 November), Winnipeg-Belize City (14 December), Regina-Los Cabos (14 December) and Ottawa-Liberia, Costa Rica (20 December), each operating once weekly. They headline what the Calgary-based carrier calls its biggest sun schedule ever: in a 17 August announcement, WestJet said winter capacity between Canada and Latin America and the Caribbean will grow 12 per cent year over year, reaching up to 1,252 weekly flights across 88 unique non-stop routes. At the peak of the season the airline will serve 50 sun destinations from 15 Canadian cities — more, it says, than any other Canadian carrier.

The expansion lands weeks after WestJet ended a flight-attendant strike that grounded its entire mainline schedule in early August, and it signals a carrier moving quickly to reassure Canadians ahead of the most lucrative booking season of the year.

Which new sun routes is WestJet adding for winter 2026-27?

All five new routes were confirmed in WestJet's 20 July network announcement, with start dates and frequencies as follows:

Two of the additions are genuine firsts. The Calgary-Mérida service will be the only non-stop link between the Yucatán's cultural capital and Western Canada, according to the Calgary Airport Authority, while Regina gains its first non-stop to Los Cabos. "These additions support growing demand for Mexico and Latin Caribbean options," said John Weatherill, WestJet's chief commercial officer, in the July announcement.

Where is the extra capacity going?

The Prairies are the clear winners. Per WestJet's 17 August schedule release, year-over-year sun capacity grows 77 per cent in Saskatoon, 64 per cent in Regina, 34 per cent in Edmonton, 26 per cent in Winnipeg and 18 per cent in Calgary, the airline's largest base. Saskatoon gains a new weekly Puerto Vallarta flight and sees Cancún frequencies rise from four to five weekly at peak; Edmonton gets twice as many weekly flights to both Los Cabos and Montego Bay; and Calgary moves to twice-daily Los Cabos service.

The schedule also stretches far beyond the traditional beach belt. WestJet's new Calgary-São Paulo non-stop — its first direct route between Western Canada and South America, flown by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner on a roughly 14-hour sector — connects to more than 60 onward destinations through partner LATAM Airlines. WestJet says it remains Canada's largest airline to Mexico, Belize, Honduras and Aruba.

Why is WestJet growing its Caribbean and Mexico network now?

Winter sun is the structural backbone of Canadian leisure demand: when temperatures drop on the Prairies, load factors to Cancún, Punta Cana and Los Cabos climb. By concentrating growth in mid-size western cities — Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg — WestJet is defending home turf where it faces thinner competition from Air Canada, and pre-empting sun-focused rivals such as Air Transat and the fast-growing Porter Airlines, which have concentrated their own expansion on Eastern Canada.

The announcement is also a confidence play. WestJet cancelled its full mainline schedule — 496 flights in a single day, per FlightAware figures cited by AirlineGeeks — when cabin crew walked out at the start of August, before a tentative deal with CUPE ended the strike on 3 August. A record winter programme, unveiled a fortnight later, is a deliberate signal to travel agents and package operators that the disruption is behind it before the peak selling window opens.

What does more capacity mean for winter fares from Canada?

More seats chasing the same beaches is generally good news for buyers. A 12 per cent capacity increase — concentrated in cities that previously had one-stop-only options — should put downward pressure on peak-season pricing, particularly on newly competitive city pairs such as Regina-Los Cabos and Winnipeg-Punta Cana, where travellers previously connected via Calgary or Toronto. One-weekly frequencies limit flexibility, though, so the best value will go to travellers who can build a trip around a fixed departure day.

Timing matters too. Our analysis of autumn 2026 booking windows suggests the sweet spot for winter sun fares typically falls well before the December rush, and this year's hurricane-season dynamics have already produced early Caribbean discounting that could carry into shoulder-season departures. Watch launch-fare promotions on the five new routes: airlines routinely stimulate demand on untested city pairs in the first booking cycle.

Frequently asked questions

What new routes is WestJet launching for winter 2026-27?

WestJet is adding five new sun routes, all once weekly: Winnipeg-Punta Cana from 28 November 2026, Winnipeg-Belize City and Regina-San José del Cabo from 14 December, Calgary-Mérida from 17 December, and Ottawa-Liberia in Costa Rica from 20 December. Calgary-Mérida will be the only non-stop link between Mérida and Western Canada, and Regina gains its first non-stop Los Cabos service.

How big is WestJet's winter 2026-27 sun schedule?

It is the airline's largest ever. WestJet will operate up to 1,252 weekly flights across 88 unique non-stop routes between Canada and Latin America and the Caribbean, a 12 per cent year-over-year capacity increase. At the winter peak the carrier will serve 50 sun destinations from 15 Canadian cities, which it says is more than any other Canadian airline.

Which Canadian cities gain the most WestJet sun capacity?

The Prairies lead the growth. Saskatoon sun capacity rises 77 per cent year over year, Regina 64 per cent, Edmonton 34 per cent, Winnipeg 26 per cent and Calgary 18 per cent. Highlights include twice-daily Calgary-Los Cabos flights, doubled Edmonton service to Los Cabos and Montego Bay, and a new weekly Saskatoon-Puerto Vallarta flight alongside extra Cancún frequencies.

Will WestJet's extra winter capacity lower fares to Mexico and the Caribbean?

It should help. Twelve per cent more seats, focused on cities that previously lacked non-stop options, typically pressures peak-season fares — especially on new pairs such as Winnipeg-Punta Cana and Regina-Los Cabos, where travellers no longer need connections. Launch promotions are common on new routes, but once-weekly schedules mean the best prices go to travellers flexible on departure day.

Sources

• WestJet — Chase the rays this winter with WestJet's biggest sun destination schedule yet
• WestJet — From parkas to paradise: WestJet adds five new routes for winter 2026/2027
• PAX News — WestJet boosts sun capacity by 12%, Western Canada sees major gains
• Caribbean Journal — WestJet Is Adding More Caribbean Flights From Canada This Winter
• Open Jaw — WestJet Boosts Winter Sun Capacity 12%, with Prairies Driving Gains
• AirlineGeeks — WestJet, Flight Attendants Reach 'Tentative' Deal to End Strike