While initially predicted to be a temporary ebb, the drop in travel that began with the start of the Trump administration and the president’s politics in relation to many other nations shows no signs of improving.
As a result, some airlines have canceled what were once very popular routes.
After President Donald Trump repeatedly referred to the country as a “51st state” and Canadians began canceling trips to the U.S. en masse in protest, flagship carrier Air Canada (ACDVF)  axed flights between Toronto and Jacksonville, Vancouver and Houston, and Montréal and San Francisco over what Executive Vice President Mark Galardo called “the right move right now in this context.”
Related: A low-cost airline is set to start flying to Moscow
Primary Canadian competitor WestJet also cut flights to Austin, Los Angeles, and Atlanta from several western Canadian cities, while Iceland-based Play will cancel all its service to the U.S. by October and instead focus on building out a network between holiday destinations in southern Europe.Â
Much of the decline is caused by travelers who are protesting Trump’s politics or who are afraid of getting caught up in the government’s anti-immigration crackdown that in some cases has impacted tourists.
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After cutting Las Vegas and Miami flights, Norse to also axe New York-Paris
At the start of July, fellow Nordic low-cost airline Norse Atlantic Airways (NRSAF)  similarly announced a major scaleback that includes the full cancellation of flights between London Gatwick Airport and Harry Reid International in Las Vegas, as well as from Oslo and Berlin to Miami International, by October 2025.
The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners (BA)  used for those routes will instead be redirected to flights connecting Thailand to Scandinavia — two flights from Stockholm to Bangkok and Phuket and another from Oslo to Phuket are set to start running in December.
Related: Major airline cancels another U.S. route due to low demand
As first reported by aviation website Simple Flying, Norse is now also gearing up to cut one of the most popular routes in its U.S. network: a nonstop connection between JFK and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG).
At its launch in 2021, Norse presented itself as an airline that would bring the low-cost model to flights between Eastern U.S. cities and many major European capitals.Â
Data from flight data analytics firm Cirium shows that the final flight between CDG and JFK will run on Oct. 17, 2025, and that the airline cut service between those two cities by a total of 1,014 seats a week.
Image source: Norse Atlantic Airways
Without commenting on politics, airlines say demand has shifted
Norse has yet to officially confirm or comment on the New York cancellation. Without directly mentioning politics as the reason behind the London and Berlin cuts, founder and CEO Bjørn Tore Larsen previously said that demand has shifted away from the U.S. and to other destinations across Europe and Asia.
More on travel:
- Another regional airline is now on the verge of bankruptcy
- Government issues new travel advisory on popular beach destination
- Another country just issued a new visa requirement for visitors
“Norse Atlantic Airways continues to deliver a world-leading load factor and significant volume growth,” Larsen said in a statement. “We maintain our good momentum into the upcoming busy summer months, where we will continue to deliver our affordable, value-for-money product to our customers worldwide.”
Currently in its peak summer season, Norse Atlantic Airways continues to offer flights to New York from Berlin, Athens, Rome, London, and Oslo. Aside from New York, its main U.S. hubs are Miami, Orlando, and Los Angeles.
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