Canadian airline cancels flights to Tennessee as other US routes suspended

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Amid a tense political climate, a Canadian airline says it is canceling flights between Canada and a Tennessee city already targeted by the country’s tariffs.

In response to tariffs enacted by President Trump, Canadians have made their opinion of the U.S. clear, booing the country’s national anthem at NHL and NBA games and removing American-made goods — including Tennessee whiskey — from their store shelves.

Recent reports show Canadians are also avoiding any trips to the U.S. According to the Canadian Press, they have been canceling travel plans. Data from travel agency Flight Centre Travel Group Canada showed leisure bookings to U.S. cities dropped 40 percent in February over last February, with one in five customers canceling U.S. trips over the previous three months.

Canadian airlines have taken note. One in particular, Flair Airlines, recently announced it would end flights to Nashville.

“I can confirm that Flair won’t be flying to Nashville this summer,” said Kim Bowie, director of communications for Flair Airlines. According to Flair’s website, the airline’s flights to Nashville are its only route to Tennessee.

During a Monday meeting of the Tennessee House Finance, Ways and Means Committee, Department of Tourist Development Commissioner Mark Ezell said it’s a loss of about 18,000 seats.

“We see travelers quickly react to political news and then we see that great marketing overcomes that traveler settlement,” said Ezell, who expressed concern about the cancelations but confidence that the challenge will be overcome because of Tennessee’s great assets.

“Do you really want to miss seeing the Smoky Mountains,” said Ezell. “Do you really want to miss getting to go to Graceland?”

Air Canada has also said it would reduce flights to Arizona, Florida, and Las Vegas starting this month, while WestJet told the Canadian Press that it had seen bookings shift from the U.S. to places like Mexico and the Caribbean. Sunwing Airlines has dropped all of its U.S. flights while Air Transat has reduced service to the country, the outlet reported.

Another Canadian airline, Porter Airlines, told the National Post it was pulling back on its advertising of American destinations because “some Canadians may view this negatively.”

Amid economic turmoil, high-profile plane crashes, and consumer uncertainty, major U.S. airlines like Delta, Southwest, and American Airlines have issued warnings about falling travel demand.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.