The carrier will double down at its home in Alberta.
Canadian airline Westjet (WS) recently announced its latest move to improve customer experience and its long-term growth plan. Heading in a new strategic direction, the carrier plans to focus on a more sustainable, resilient future.
WestJet Group Chief Executive Officer Alexis von Hoensbroech noted three key points the airline plans to focus on this year and beyond:
- Returning WestJet to its roots as Western Canada’s home carrier
- Growing its leisure and sun destination offering across all of Canada and connecting Canadians with domestic service from coast-to-coast
- Providing affordable airfares as a low-cost carrier (LCC)
In partnership with the Government of Alberta, the airline’s home base province, the carrier plans to double its capacity for Western Canada and significant growth at Calgary International Airport (YYC) and other regional airports.
Westjet has already turned heads with its state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner in the fleet and its recent announcement it plans to connect Calgary and Tokyo. The carrier has recently announced a flurry of new and increased services, including Washington, Detroit, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Nashville, and Seattle.
Bringing back what Canadians love
Westjet’s CEO, von Hoensbroech, noted his excitement about the airline’s direction in the carrier’s latest media statement:
“We are now seeing the benefits of our new strategy coming to life across Canada; it is ambitious, laser-focused on our strengths, and brings back more of what Canadians love about WestJet, At WestJet, our proposition is to ‘love where you are going.’ This plan focuses on just that – where we are going as an airline, as an employer, and as a connector of people, businesses, and communities across Canada. It will strengthen our airline, ensure long-term profitability, and set us apart from our competitors.”
Westjet will add 13% capacity on its services connecting western and eastern Canada, including new and resumed non-stop routes between:
- Edmonton to London, Moncton, Charlottetown, Ottawa, and Montreal
- Calgary to Thunder Bay, Quebec City, and Moncton
- Vancouver to Halifax and Montreal
- Comox to Toronto
The airline also hopes to secure final permissions and regulatory approvals to acquire Sunwing Airlines and Sunwing Vacations.
Commitment to the 737
With the airline’s new laser focus on the future, the carrier is committing to the Boeing 737 being the backbone of the carrier’s fleet. The airline currently holds the most significant order of the range in Canada. By continuing its plan to maintain one of the youngest fleets in North America, the airline is excited to welcome the 737 MAX 10, providing one of the lowest cost-per-seat fuel consumption in its class.
With the CEO’s ambitious plan, the airline also plans to improve scheduling resilience to isolate disruptions, especially in winter. von Hoensbroech further noted:
“We are returning to being the friendly, reliable, affordable airline Canadians love. With this plan, we are focusing on what made WestJet successful when the airline was first introduced to Canada – operating as a stronger, more resilient low-cost carrier delivering a modern experience to our guests at an affordable price.”
Source https://simpleflying.com/westjet-provides-update-strategic-direction-april-2023/
