WestJet pilots endorse long-haul expansion plans

WestJet has said that its 1,380 pilots have voted in favour of the company’s plans to expand its successful wide-body operations. Such approval is required under the airline’s agreement with the WestJet Pilots Association. “Our long-haul, wide-body flights to Hawaii and London (Gatwick) have brought low fares and more choices to hundreds of thousands of guests, reinforcing our position as Canada’s low-fare leader,” said Gregg Saretsky, WestJet CEO. “This agreement reflects the collaborative relationship we have with the WestJet Pilots Association (WJPA) and now allows us to proceed with plans to expand our wide-body operations to new destinations in the future. We will now turn our attention to acquiring additional wide-body aircraft to satisfy the demand for our low fares.” WestJet currently operates four Boeing 767-300ER aircraft in its winter schedule on non-stop routes to London (Gatwick) from Toronto and Calgary; to Hawaii from Edmonton and Calgary; and on select transcontinental routes including between Toronto and Calgary.