As jet fuel prices continue to skyrocket, Canadian airlines are taking some hard measures, from cutting or consolidating flights to adding surcharges to already purchased tickets.
WestJet confirmed Monday that some Edmonton routes will be reduced this spring as the airline deals with jet fuel prices, which are more than double what they were before the Iran conflict began.
“Fuel prices continue to rise, and as a result we have adjusted our flying to align with demand and best manage associated fuel costs,” wrote WestJet spokesperson Julia Kaiser in an email to Postmedia.
“This includes consolidating flights on lower demand routes and adjusting the travel period for seasonal offerings. We have reduced capacity across our network by approximately one per cent in April and three per cent in May, which included some flights in Edmonton.”
Kaiser added: “Most guests impacted by these changes have been provided recommendation options within the same day as their original departure.”
WestJet had already announced it will be adding fuel surcharges to discounted companion voucher tickets. The surcharge does not affect tickets bought with regular fares.
WestJet announced an expanded codeshare partnership with Scandinavian airline giant SAS in late March. But SAS has announced that it will be reducing its flight load by as much as 1,000 to cope with rising fuel costs.
Air Canada reports that, despite the rise in fuel prices, passenger demand remains high.
“Global jet‑fuel prices have surged, creating increased cost pressure, and the situation is still highly volatile and unpredictable,” the airline said in a statement sent to Postmedia.
“Fares vary by market and are influenced by a range of factors, including supply and demand, operating costs such as fuel, seasonality and various market dynamics. Specifically, pricing has been and continues to be adjusted to reflect these higher fuel costs while delivering the reliable service and network Canadians depend on. Overall, travel demand remains resilient.”
Travel agents have warned that Air Canada is planning a $50 fuel surcharge on flight tickets to some sun destinations, beginning this week.
Motorists get gas at the Petro-Canada gas station, 9936 109 St. in Edmonton on Monday, April 6, 2026. David Bloom/Postmedia
Calgary air travel up, Edmonton down
The Alberta Tourism statistical dashboard showed that international visitors to Calgary International Airport was up by 11.6 per cent in January 2026 over January 2025, while Edmonton’s international arrivals were down 4.7 per cent. Calgary was up 7.3 per cent in February, while Edmonton was down 6.3 per cent.
Alberta Tourism also tracks visitors to Calgary International Airport by their points of origin and so far in 2026, U.S. visits are down four per cent over 2025. Visits from Canadians living in America are down by almost 25 per cent.
But, despite the turmoil in the skies, Alberta’s tourism hotspots can expect a great year.
While the national parks and hotels are expected to be busy this year, the early trends show a drop in American visitors. But a rise in domestic travel and visitors from other parts of the world are expected to make up the shortfall in traffic from the U.S.
Shameer Suleman is the president of the Waterton Lakes Chamber of Commerce, and owns two hotels in the region — the Bayshore Inn and Spa and the Waterton Glacier Suites. He also owns four restaurants.
Suleman expects 2026 to be as strong a travel year as 2025, and that was one of the top years for visitor attraction that he’s seen in his three decades in the industry. So far in 2026, reservations from American visitors are down 20 per cent from a year ago, but have been made up by spikes from Canadians and visitors from other parts of the world.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a political thing,” Suleman said of the American drop. “Most of the Americans who we’re speaking with are more than happy to come. No animosity there.
“I think there’s multiple reasons probably why. I think the cost of fuel is probably something that’s scaring them. The war is scaring them. Travel itself is scaring them. It could be a bunch of things, it could be that uncertainty, and they just haven’t booked yet.”
Waterton Lakes National Park
Parks free in Canada, more expensive in America
Parks Canada will make admissions free again, and Suleman said it’s a major booster for his businesses. Add to that the fact that the Americans have raised fees on foreigners who wish to visit national parks in the U.S., and the benefit to the Canadian side is evident. There may be no better measure for this than Waterton Lakes, which sits directly above Glacier National Park in Montana.
“I think there’s a lot of Canadians that were visiting the park because it was free (in 2025), because they didn’t want to go down to the U.S., or maybe they were kind of staying away from the American side,” said Suleman. “For now, I think for this year, it’s probably similar. I mean, that’s all over the news.”
From Wood Buffalo to Elk Island to Jasper to Banff to Waterton Lakes, visitor stats from the first two months of 2026 are already showing huge increases over 2025.
The five national parks in Alberta welcome more than 610,000 visitors over January and February. Those represent rises of 12.6 per cent and 21.2 per cent over January-February 2025.
But Suleman is fearful that the heavy reservations could lead to cancellations if fuel prices continue to soar as a byproduct of the Iran conflict. He said a lot of Waterton Lakes visitors drive there, and the area also gets a lot of business from bus tours.
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