WestJet Group today announced an agreement with Boeing to purchase 42 MAX aircraft, along with options for 22 more. This order is in addition to the remaining 23 orders for the same model and extends the airline’s fleet growth plans through 2028.
WestJet’s board of directors approved the order for next-generation Boeing 737-10 aircraft, the largest model in Boeing’s MAX family. The 737-10 ensures simplicity through the common training expected across the airline’s 737 fleet. It currently has eighteen 737-8s and twenty-three to be delivered.
«With this additional order, WestJet Group will take delivery of no fewer than 65 aircraft over the next six years, at least 50 will be 737-10s, reinforcing our commitment to affordable travel options for Canadians and jobs for our company and the aerospace industry,» said Alexis von Hoensbroech, chief executive officer of WestJet Group.
Von Hoensbroech clarified that the order will be part of WestJet’s expansion plans in Western Canada and a strategy to grow in Eastern Canadian communities through more transcontinental flights. During the past summer season, the carrier flew to Dublin (DUB), Paris/Charles de Gaulle (CDG), Edinburgh (EDI) and Glasgow (GLA) from Halifax (YHZ) and Toronto (YYZ).
It will also benefit from more direct routes to sun and leisure destinations, this will be strengthened as soon as the Sunwing transaction is approved.
«The 737-10 will provide WestJet with additional capacity and unmatched efficiency as the airline further expands its network of destinations in Canada and internationally. WestJet understands the value of the 737 MAX family, with the 737-10 configured to perfectly complement the outstanding capacity and flexibility already offered by the 737-8, along with enhanced sustainability across its fleet,» said Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing.
According to the manufacturer, key features of the Boeing 737-10 are:
- Increased fuel efficiency and the best economy per seat of any.
- Reduced fuel use and carbon emissions by at least 20 percent per seat compared to previous generations, helping airlines make air travel even more sustainable.
- Increased guest comfort with a quieter cabin with Boeing Sky Interior, LED lighting that enhances the feeling of spaciousness and larger overhead storage compartments.
WestJet has a current fleet of approximately 170 aircraft across the WestJet Group, including 43 active 737-700s, 39 Boeing 737-800s and 18 Boeing 737-8s. WestJet announced its strategic path forward in June, with the 737 as a key pillar of long-term growth.
