WestJet operated its first ever flight to Portugal on May 1, launching nonstop service between Halifax Stanfield International Airport and Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport.

The route runs five times weekly using the 174-seat Boeing 737 MAX 8. Flying time is approximately 6 hours 30 minutes westbound and just under 6 hours eastbound. WestJet plans to continue the service through the peak summer travel season, with seasonal evaluation for fall and winter.

Halifax is now WestJet's primary transatlantic gateway from Atlantic Canada, with existing service to Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London Gatwick, and Paris. Lisbon adds the airline's first Portuguese destination and a connection point onward to Madeira, the Azores, and African capitals via TAP.

One-way fares in economy started near 350 Canadian dollars during the launch period, with premium cabin prices around three times higher. Bookings for July and August indicate demand is tracking ahead of comparable transatlantic launches by the carrier.

The Halifax-Lisbon route fits into a broader effort by WestJet to grow its narrow-body long-haul network, using the 737 MAX 8 for thinner transatlantic markets that legacy carriers do not serve nonstop. A second route to Porto is under evaluation for 2027.