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WestJet to Launch Summer CardiffToronto Route in 2026, First WalesCanada Link Since 2008

Cardiff is underwriting the summer-only link within a recovery plan now challenged over subsidies.

Overview

  • The service will run four times a week between Cardiff and Toronto Pearson starting May 23, 2026, during the summer season only.
  • Flights will be operated by Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft with about 174 seats, keeping weekly capacity below 700 seats each way.
  • Cardiff Airport is providing undisclosed financial support for the route, which the Welsh Government has publicly welcomed.
  • Airport officials forecast 20,000 to 30,000 passengers in the first summer as Cardiff pursues recovery and a broader catchment into southwest England.
  • Bristol Airport’s legal appeal over Cardiff’s wider subsidy programme is scheduled at the Competition Appeal Tribunal in February.