What sun destinations can I reach from Ottawa on a non-stop flight?

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Non-stop flights from Ottawa to tropical destinations. Aren’t those just the words to warm your winter-chilled soul?

I’ll say right up front that I love Ottawa International Airport—officially known as Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (airport code YOW). It’s easy to get in and out of. The security lines are usually not too bad. There are lots of accessible power outlets to charge my phone and laptop, and enough restaurants to satisfy most pre-flight cravings. And I love that waterfall along the wall as you come down the escalator into baggage claim.

Of course, it’s not all sunshine and roses. It would be nice if there were more than one (one!?!) OC Transpo bus route serving the airport (that would be Route 97). It would be even nicer if the O-Train (LRT) served the airport (I know, I know, it’s coming…someday).

But my number-one beef with YOW is that “You (often) can’t get there non-stop from here.” You know the feeling: You go online to book a trip to some nice warm winter destination, only to see the dreaded phrase “one-stop.” Or even worse, “two-stops.”

Yes, that means you’ll be starting and ending your winter getaway with an oh-so-fun tramp through the vast wilds of much bigger airports in Toronto, Montreal or, God forbid, New York. (Newark Liberty International Airport may well be the eighth circle of hell.) And, as anyone who’s experienced winter in Ottawa knows, there’s always the risk that a freak blizzard or cold snap will ground all of the capital’s outbound planes. That will leave you sitting at YOW looking at some flight tracker app on your phone in despair, as the plane you were supposed to connect to leaves Toronto packed with luckier passengers.

So, what sunshine destinations can you fly to non-stop from Ottawa in the winter? The answer is a surprisingly large number of places, particularly if you’re booking a package vacation. At the moment, your airline choices are Air Canada, Air Transat, Flair Airlines, Porter Airlines, Sunwing Vacations and WestJet Airlines.

Yes, I can hear you asking, “Hey, wait a minute—does Sunwing still exist?” The answer is, “Yes, for now.” After Sunwing went through some well-publicized turmoil last year, WestJet purchased the low-cost charter airline. WestJet will eventually fold all of Sunwing’s operations under the WestJet banner, but for now, Sunwing is still flying under its old name.

Here are all six airlines’ current direct connections from Ottawa to Florida, Las Vegas, the Caribbean and Mexico for the winter of 2023–24. If you know of one I’ve missed, please let me know in the comments and I’ll add it. (Note that many of these flights are offered from late fall to early spring only.)

Cover photo of Cancun by Josh Hammond on Unsplash.

Direct flights from Ottawa to Florida or Las Vegas

• Fort Lauderdale (FLL): Air Canada, Flair, Porter
• Fort Myers (RSW): WestJet
• Las Vegas (LAS): Flair
• Orlando (MCO): Air Canada, Porter, WestJet
• Orlando Sanford (SFB): Flair
• Tampa (TPA): Air Canada

Direct flights from Ottawa to the Caribbean

• Cayo Coco, Cuba (CCC): Sunwing
• Cayo Largo, Cuba (CYO): Sunwing
• Holguin, Cuba (HOG): Sunwing
• Montego Bay, Jamaica (MBJ): Sunwing, WestJet
• Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic (POP): Sunwing
• Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (PUJ): Air Canada, Air Transat, Flair, Sunwing
• Santa Clara, Cuba (SNU): Sunwing
• Varadero, Cuba (VRA): Sunwing

Direct flights from Ottawa to Mexico

• Cancun/Riviera Maya (CUN): Air Canada, Air Transat, Flair, Sunwing, WestJet
• Los Cabos (SJD): Sunwing
• Puerto Vallarta (PVR): Sunwing

A word about environmental concerns

If you are concerned about the environmental impact of flying (and we all should be), here are two things to consider.

First, check to see whether your airline gives you the option to offset the impact of your flight by supporting environmental initiatives that may reduce your carbon output by an equivalent amount. (They’re not a perfect solution, but they are a step in the right direction.) If your airline doesn’t offer that option, you can buy offsets directly from Canadian organizations such as Less Emissions.

Second, non-stop flights have lower carbon emissions than flights with layovers, according to this piece on GoGreen Travel Green, because about half of the emissions occur during takeoff and landing.

If you can’t get a non-stop from Ottawa, check the choices from Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (there are lots). Then, take VIA Rail from Ottawa to the Dorval train station (a free shuttle bus regularly covers the short distance from the train station to the airport) or hop aboard an Orleans Express bus, which connects both Ottawa and Gatineau to the Montreal airport.

Both trains and buses have lower carbon emissions than planes. Plus, taking the bus or train to Dorval doesn’t really take much longer than flying, when you account for the fact that you’d need to arrive at the Ottawa airport at least an hour (and, ideally, two hours) before your Ottawa-Montreal flight. Finally, short connecting flights are often among the first to be cancelled due to weather or staffing problems, so the train or bus might be a more reliable bet. Even driving is a less carbon-intensive choice than flying to Dorval, although you’ll probably pay a pretty penny to park.

Of course, you could also find some nice warm places to escape to in and around Ottawa! Indoor pools, the saunas at one of Quebec’s many Nordic spas and the greenhouse at the Central Experimental Farm are some of my favourite places to warm up when the temperature plummets.

Looking for more tips on things to see and do in Eastern Ontario, the Outaouais, northern New York state and beyond? Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter or order a copy of my book, Ottawa Road Trips: Your Weekend Getaway Guide.

As the owner of Ottawa Road Trips, I acknowledge that I live on, work in and travel through the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nation. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be present on this land. Ottawa Road Trips supports Water First, a non-profit organization that helps address water challenges in Indigenous communities in Canada through education, training and meaningful collaboration.