Air Travel Briefs: A320 Tops B737; Canada’s U.S. Boycott Continues, WestJet WiFi
by Bruce Parkinson
WestJet had a strong on-time performance in September.
There is lots going on in the world of aviation. Here are some of the highlights of the past week.
Workhorse of the Skies
The Airbus A320 family made history last week by overtaking the Boeing 737 as the most-delivered jetliner of all time, according to data from aviation analytics company Cirium.
The 737 has held the title for decades, but this week the handing over of an A320neo to Saudi carrier Flynas brought the total delivery of the Airbus model to 12,260 planes since it entered service in 1988.
The European A320 and the American 737 are single-aisle workhorses beloved by low-cost carriers. They’re the world’s top choice when it comes to short-range air travel. If you’ve been in this industry for any length of time you’ve likely flown in dozens of them.
The Boycott Continues
Attention spans may be shorter these days, but it seems Canadians have a long memory when it comes to sovereignty threats from the U.S. administration. The number of returning Canadian-resident trips from overseas countries by air increased 3.9% from September 2024 to 1 million in September 2025, however the number of returning Canadian-resident trips by air from the U.S. declined a whopping 27.1% to 372,000.
According to the latest numbers from Statistics Canada, the number of Canadian-resident return trips by automobile from the U.S. in September 2025 totalled 1.4 million, down 34.8% and continuing a long month-by-month decline that began early this year.
For inbound U.S. travel into Canada, in September 2025 the number of arrivals to Canada by U.S. residents by air was down 0.4% from the same month in 2024, while arrivals by automobile decreased 5.3%.
WestJet WiFi is Spreading Through the Fleet
WestJet is celebrating the fact that 100 of its Boeing 737 aircraft now offer free WestJet Wi-Fi for WestJet Rewards members, presented by TELUS. The airline said it now leads the pack with the world’s largest fleet of 737 Starlink-equipped aircraft.
“We’re entering a new era of inflight internet in Canada, giving our guests the power to unlock world-class connectivity from 35,000 feet,” said Samantha Taylor, WestJet executive vice-president and chief experience officer. “This is a real game-changer for our guests, and we are proud to be the only airline in Canada offering this cutting-edge technology on its mainline fleet.”
The rollout, delivered by Starlink, featuring high-speed and ultra-low latency, has been flying at full speed since February 2025 and is now ahead of schedule.
Air Serbia to Return to Canada After 30+ Years
Air Serbia will enter the Canadian market next year with the launch of nonstop service between Belgrade and Toronto, marking a return to the country after more than three decades.
The flag carrier will operate flights between Belgrade and Toronto Pearson International Airport twice a week from May 23, 2026, using Airbus A330-200 aircraft. Toronto will become the airline’s third North American destination after New York JFK and Chicago O’Hare.
The route will be the sole nonstop connection between Canada and Serbia and the first operated by Air Serbia or its predecessor JAT Yugoslav Airlines since 1992.
The airline anticipates strong demand from the large Serbian diaspora in Canada, concentrated around Toronto and southern Ontario. According to Canada’s 2021 census, about 93,000 people in the country identified as being of Serbian origin.
