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Canada’s WestJet has detailed 3 new long-haul routes for the 2023 summer season.
The new services are all planned from the airline’s western hub of Calgary (YYC) close to the Rocky Mountains and will be bound for Barcelona, Spain (BCN), Edinburgh, Scotland (EDI), and Tokyo Narita, Japan (NRT).
“This is an exciting day for the WestJet Group, our guests, and partners as we deliver on our new strategy and demonstrate our western focus as we increase our Calgary capacity by more than 25% in 2023,” said Alexis von Hoensbroech, chief executive officer at WestJet Group.
Here are the details about WestJet’s new routes for summer 2023.
Of the 3 new routes, the nonstop service from Calgary to Tokyo is getting the most attention given it will be the airline’s first-ever route to Asia and Calgary’s only nonstop service to Japan.
“The Government of Alberta congratulates Calgary and WestJet, and believes this is a major announcement for our province. Alberta is opening more to the world. We are excited to see the agreement from October result in billions of new investments come into Calgary,” said Danielle Smith, Alberta’s Premier.
The inaugural flight is set for April 30, 2023 and will continue to operate on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays with the following schedule:
As for WestJet’s new European ventures, the additions of nonstop services to Barcelona and Edinburgh will bring the airline’s total European cities served from Calgary to 6.
Both new routes will operate 3 times weekly.
The start date for the Barcelona service is scheduled for May 6, 2023, after which is will operate once or twice per week before ramping up to 3x a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays starting on May 23, 2023.
The schedule is as follows:
Just over a week later, WestJet will launch its Edinburgh service on May 17, 2023 which will continue to operate 3x a week on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays with the following schedule:
WestJet’s arrival in the Scottish capital will go down in history as the first time there has ever been a nonstop flight between the 2 cities.
“This is the first time we’ve ever had a direct route between Edinburgh and Calgary, and it is always exciting to see our connectivity expand and bring Scotland closer to major cities around the world. WestJet’s commitment to Edinburgh and Scotland is a show of confidence in our market and demonstrates the huge interest in both Scotland and Canada as tourist destinations as well as important business and trade links,” said Gordon Dewar, chief executive of Edinburgh Airport.
As the only long-haul aircraft type in its fleet, WestJet’s Boeing 787 Dreamliners will operate each of the new routes.
Bottom Line: WestJet’s new international long-haul route announcements is a great way to end a strong year of expansion which has included new services between Canada and Chicago and Los Angeles.
WestJet’s expanded network to Asia and Europe will open up exciting new travel opportunities for Canadians living in Alberta as well as those living in Japan, Scotland, and Spain who will now be able to fly nonstop to Calgary at the gateway to the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
