A WestJet airplane in Calgary in 2021.Jeff McIntosh/The Associated Press
WestJet Airlines is making deeper cuts to its capacity in response to higher fuel prices, reducing the number of available seats in June by 5.5 per cent.
Calgary-based WestJet previously said available seats in April and May would be reduced by 1 per cent and 3 per cent, respectively, as jet fuel prices soared because of supply constraints related to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
The airline said it is not announcing any route cuts on Monday, but is “evaluating its summer schedule and may adjust flying to balance fuel supply.”
WestJet declined to provide details or say which destinations will see reduced flight frequency. According to Cirium, an aviation data company, WestJet reduced its June schedule by 279 flights, or 25,769 seats, over the past few weeks. It was not clear if Monday’s reductions are included in those cuts, and WestJet would not say.
Air Canada suspends flights to New York’s JFK airport, citing surging jet fuel costs
The airline is shifting some capacity to domestic markets, away from Caribbean and Latin American destinations, including Cuba and Jamaica, according to Cirium.
Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 per cent of the world’s oil and natural gas are carried. The waterway along Iran’s coast is also a major route for jet fuel destined for Europe. Canada refines enough jet fuel to meet 80 per cent of its needs, but airlines could face shortages landing in Europe and Asia. The higher fuel price has also made some routes money-losers, even as carriers – including WestJet – have added fuel surcharges to seat fares.
“As fuel prices continue to rise, WestJet has adjusted some flying to align with demand and best manage associated fuel costs,” the airline said in a statement. “This includes consolidating flights on lower demand routes and adjusting the travel period for seasonal offerings.”
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Air Canada last week said it is suspending four daily flights to New York’s John F. Kennedy airport between June 1 and Oct. 25.
The federal government on Monday suspended excise taxes on gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel until Sept. 7, a move intended to help Canadians manage rising costs. The suspension means a 10-cent reduction in prices for a litre of gasoline and four cents for diesel and aviation fuel.
The International Energy Agency said last week that Europe could be six weeks from a jet fuel shortage caused by the loss of Mideast supplies. Dutch airline KLM cut 160 flights in response to soaring fuel prices, while Germany’s Lufthansa announced a broad package of reductions that includes retiring several airplanes and reducing seat capacity throughout the company.