WestJet limits flight service to Lethbridge

Despite recent renovations to the Alberta's Lethbridge Airport, its sole airline provider is dropping its services to a single flight per day.

WestJet intended to reduce the number of flights in Lethbridge to one on Oct 3. “We’ve got a schedule change that’s kind of started a little bit early, as of Oct. 1,” said Jared Mikoch-Gerke, director of alliances and airport affairs with WestJet. Blaine Hyggen, the mayor of Lethbridge, says the renovations in recent years were designed to bring business to the airport. This situation, according to WestJet, is not exclusive to the southern Alberta city.

WestJet is no longer working with Pacific Coastal, but instead switching to WestJet Encore with a Q400 aircraft. The Q400 has 78 seats, while the older planes could only offer 34 passengers a chance to fly. Year-to-date in 2024, WestJet has flown 35,000 passengers in and out of Lethbridge while offering 66,000 seats. This means just over 50 per cent of tickets are being sold.