WestJet confirmed Tuesday it's pulling its Calgary routes from both Lethbridge and Medicine Hat for good. No more non-stop service, no phased reduction just a hard stop date and a statement about insufficient demand. WestJet Encore was the only commercial carrier at Lethbridge Airport. When it leaves, the airport goes dark completely no domestic flights, no connections, nothing. If you live in either city and want to fly anywhere after June 24, your only option is getting in a car first.
That means a two-hour drive to Calgary International Airport from Lethbridge, or closer to three hours from Medicine Hat each way before you even check a bag. For a weekend trip, a business meeting, or an international connection, that's a full day of travel before you've left Alberta.
This isn't an isolated decision either. WestJet has been quietly shrinking its Canadian footprint for months. In February alone, the airline suspended 16 routes between Canadian and U.S. cities, citing a "notable decline in transborder travel demand" throughout 2025 with cuts hitting Edmonton and Calgary too. Canadian return trips to the U.S. fell 23.6% in November 2025 compared to the year before. WestJet is redeploying its fleet to where demand actually exists. Lethbridge and Medicine Hat didn't make that cut.
The Timing Is Brutal
Lethbridge City Council had airport incentives on the agenda for the exact same day WestJet made the announcement. The city had been publicly exploring ways to expand airport service since July 2025. Instead of expansion, they got an exit. Council says further discussions are planned but with no other carrier operating out of Lethbridge, those conversations are starting from zero.
What Actually Gets Lost
A Lethbridge to Calgary flight is 45 minutes. That doesn't sound like much until you think about who actually depends on it seniors who can't make a long winter highway drive, business travellers connecting to flights across the country, families heading overseas, anyone dealing with a medical situation that requires getting somewhere fast. For Medicine Hat, a city with deep economic ties to Calgary's energy and agriculture sectors, losing direct air access isn't just an inconvenience. It's a real barrier to how the region operates.
After June 24, southern Alberta has no commercial air service left at all. Not a reduced schedule, not a seasonal option nothing. And right now, no airline has stepped forward to fill the gap.
Sources: WestJet statement
