Positive signs of recovery for WestJet
ANN RUPPENSTEIN
Following the launch of transatlantic service from Toronto to Edinburgh earlier this month, recovery at WestJet is in full swing. The airline recently beat its previous record with a new single-day guest count of 55,000 set – the highest since March 2020.
“This summer WestJet will serve 43 domestic, 23 transborder, 16 Caribbean and eight transatlantic destinations marking a 94% restoration of our pre-pandemic routes,” said Monica Stevenson, Team Lead, Travel Marketing, Events and XM for WestJet. “We’re thrilled to be reinvesting in transatlantic connectivity, creating opportunities for Canadians to explore the enchantment of Scotland and Europe.”
In addition to the newly launched route, WestJet is now flying non-stop to five European destinations this summer from Toronto including Glasgow, Dublin, London-Gatwick and Barcelona.
“We are thrilled that Edinburgh is the final European connection to inaugurate from Toronto this summer, rounding out the restoration of our network and strengthening our offerings from Toronto. These cities are some of the world’s most vibrant and iconic destinations and we are working diligently as demand for international travel continues to ramp up,” said John Weatherill, Chief Commercial Officer for WestJet. “Seamless connectivity between Europe and Canada is critical to the recovery of Canada’s travel and tourism industry. We look forward to welcoming more Canadians and global guests on board this summer as we continue to restore our network to pre-pandemic levels.”
Canada is a big market for Scotland, with the destination accounting for 100,000 annual visitors in the nation. The UK also accounts for Canada’s second largest inbound tourist market.
“As we look ahead compared to 2019, we’ve increased our seat capacity in the summer to Scotland by 130%,” said Stevenson. “Whether it’s heritage connection, a love of golf or a desire to explore a rich cultural destination, there’s a natural tourism pipeline between Canada and Scotland and one that WestJet has been serving for seven years.”
As the airline continues to rebuild its international network, she said they’re “seeing positive demand on both sides of the Atlantic and pandemic recovery.”
Reflecting back on the airline’s 26 year history, Stevenson noted that WestJet has made a big impact on air travel in the Canadian market.
“In our 26 years of flying, we’ve cut the cost of airfare in Canada in half and increased Canada’s flying population by more than 50% while building an authentically Canadian global airline,” she shared.
