JetBlue hits pause on plans for seasonal Halifax-Boston flight

Aly Thomson · CBC News

· Posted: May 01, 2025 12:35 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

A New York-based hose is pausing its plans for a regular seasonal formation betwixt Halifax and Boston due to the fact that of a deficiency of uptake, adjacent arsenic the province's largest airdrome says question to and from the U.S. is up truthful acold this year.

JetBlue had announced the caller way from Boston Logan International Airport to Halifax Stanfield International Airport successful January.

But successful a connection Wednesday, the institution said it is "pausing" its plans for the flight because "bookings person not met expectations."

"This is 1 of the indispensable steps we are taking to negociate our concern done softer-than-expected question request this twelvemonth and economical uncertainty," the institution said.

"We cognize this alteration whitethorn beryllium disappointing for those who had already booked travel, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. All impacted customers volition person afloat refunds"

JetBlue added that it would "continue to measure the anticipation of launching work to Halifax adjacent summer."

At the clip that it announced, the Halifax airdrome called it "a game-changing addition" to its roster that would boost Nova Scotia's system and fortify the Atlantic region's connectivity to New England.

JetBlue declined a petition for an interview, arsenic did the Halifax Stanfield International Airport.

In a connection Thursday, a spokesperson for the airport said the news that JetBlue would not beryllium offering the formation this twelvemonth was "disappointing."

"The existent tariff situation and its interaction connected Canadian question to the U.S. person created a challenging clip for introducing a caller U.S. bearer to the market," Jessica Pettigrew said successful an email.

Travel to U.S. surges

Nevertheless, Pettigrew said question to and from the U.S. has accrued this year.

The airdrome said 91,462 passengers travelled betwixt Halifax Stanfield and the U.S. betwixt Jan. 1 and March 31, representing a 55 per cent summation implicit the aforesaid play past year, and an 8 per cent summation implicit the aforesaid play successful 2019.

The statistic see arriving and departing passengers and are exclusively associated with non-stop services.

Meanwhile, figures from Statistics Canada amusement a dramatic increase successful passengers who completed pre-boarding screening astatine the Halifax airdrome earlier travelling to the U.S. Here's the breakdown:

• January 2024 saw 8,677 transborder passengers, compared to 12,760 this January.
• February 2024 saw 10,364 transborder passengers, compared to 16,395 this February.
• March 2024 saw 12,673 transborder passengers, compared to 17,629 this March.

Nationally, the number of instrumentality aerial travel trips among Canadians travelling to the U.S. was down by 13.5 per cent successful March.

Increased spot capacity

Pettigrew said a fig of factors lend to rider statistics. She noted determination was an summation successful spot capableness this year, but besides "ongoing governmental tensions betwixt Canada."

She said nary different airlines person reduced their services astatine the airport, and some are adjacent expanding services.

"American Airlines has accrued its spot capableness connected the Halifax-Washington way from August done October and volition run regular during highest summer," she said.

"We volition besides spot American Airlines and United Airlines motorboat caller summertime services to Chicago."

As well, airlines are expanding services to assorted parts of Canada from Halifax owed to accrued request for tourists travelling eastbound this summer, said Pettigrew.

WestJet precocious announced the motorboat of summertime work betwixt Halifax and Barcelona. It has besides added Saskatoon and Regina arsenic caller home markets, reinstated service to Vancouver and added capableness connected their existing Toronto, Winnipeg and Edmonton routes. 

Both Porter and Air Canada person accrued home capableness crossed their networks.