WestJet has announced it will restore flights to the communities of Charlottetown, Fredericton, Moncton, Sydney and Quebec City after service was suspended as a result of Covid-19.

The reinstatement of service will restore WestJet’s complete network of pre-Covid-19 domestic airports.

“We committed to return to the communities we left, as a result of the pandemic, and we will be restoring flights to these regions in the coming months, of our own volition,” said WestJet president and CEO, Ed Sims.

“These communities have been a crucial factor in our success over our 25 years and it is critical for us to ensure they have access to affordable air service and domestic connectivity to drive their economic recovery.”

Service is set to resume to the five airports WestJet suspended service from in November, beginning 24 June 2021 through to 30 June  2021. In addition, service between St. John’s and Toronto, which was indefinitely suspended in October, will resume effective 24 June 2021. Following a temporary suspension, the restart of service between St. John’s and Halifax will be advanced from 24 June 2021 to 6 May 2021.

“Our focus remains on the safe restart of air travel. We ask that federal and provincial governments work with us to provide clarity and certainty to Canadians, including travel policies that support economic recovery and restore jobs,” continued Sims.

Recognising the investments that WestJet’s travel and tourism partners in the regions need to make to begin to recover from the pandemic, the airline will continue to encourage the Atlantic premiers to advance their efforts to ensure the region is open to Canadians this summer.

“Alongside an accelerated and successful vaccine rollout, we are hopeful that there will be an easing of onerous travel restrictions currently in place,” said Sims. “We look forward to working together to safely reconnect Canadians to the region in the coming months.”