Canadian airlines cancel U.S. routes due to tensions

Flair Airlines has stopped its flights to Nashville, Tennessee, citing rising tensions between Canada and the United States. The airline's communications director, Kim Bowie, confirmed that there will be no flights to Nashville this summer. This route was the only one Flair offered to Tennessee. The state tourism commissioner, Mark Ezell, noted this cancellation means a loss of about 18,000 seats for travelers. Despite the setback, he believes Tennessee's attractions, like the Smoky Mountains and Graceland, will continue to draw tourists. Relations between Canada and the U.S. have worsened since Donald Trump's second election victory. The introduction of tariffs and other political issues has led to negative feelings among Canadians towards the U.S. Many Canadians have reacted by canceling trips to America, and leisure travel to the U.S. fell by 40% last month compared to the same time last year. Justin Trudeau, a former Canadian Prime Minister, expressed that Canadians are choosing to avoid traveling to the U.S. and are opting to support Canadian products instead. Several Canadian airlines are responding to this trend. Air Canada will reduce flights to Arizona, Florida, and Nevada. WestJet has noticed many travelers switching their bookings from the U.S. to destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean. Sunwing Airlines has completely cut its flights to the U.S., while Air Transat has also reduced its services there. Porter Airlines has even stopped advertising trips to the U.S. due to potential negative perceptions among Canadians.