While for many carriers the Airbus A321LR and XLR have prompted a boom in long-haul narrowbody flights, WestJet has long been operating such services with its Boeing 737 MAX 8 twinjets. Following two recent route launches, current scheduling data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, show that the airline now has 20 MAX-operated routes to Europe, a record high.
The wide geographical spread of these routes highlights both the resilience of WestJet’s existing MAX-operated transatlantic corridors and the demand for new ones, particularly from smaller airports in northeastern Canada. However, as attractive as WestJet’s relatively low fares may be, some passengers may find the onboard experience subpar compared to widebody jets, particularly in premium cabins.
Halifax Is A Particular Hotspot
Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ) is at the heart of WestJet’s transatlantic MAX ops, accounting for nine of the 20 routes. Using July as an example, as we shall do throughout this article, Amsterdam is the most popular, with 27 departures this month, followed by Lisbon with 22. These figures equate to six and five flights per week, respectively.
Elsewhere, WestJet also flies its MAX jets four times a week from Halifax to Barcelona, Copenhagen, Dublin, Madrid, and Paris, while Edinburgh and London Gatwick see three weekly rotations. Samantha Taylor, WestJet’s Group Executive Vice President and Chief Experience Officer, welcomed Halifax’s transatlantic growth back in November.
“WestJet is proud to invest in Halifax. (…) With shorter flight times, competitive fares and direct access to Europe’s cultural heartlands, Halifax is uniquely positioned to serve as Canada’s Atlantic gateway”
The Best Of The Rest
Away from Halifax, WestJet also operates its MAX jets from three gateways in Central and Western Canada to Reykjavík Keflavík International Airport (KEF) in Iceland. The departure points in question are Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg. Calgary’s Icelandic flights depart daily, while Edmonton and Winnipeg have one a week. The latter pair only just started service.
Elsewhere, Toronto is home to WestJet’s other highest-frequency transatlantic routes this year, operated by the 737 MAX 8. Indeed, while Edinburgh is served daily, Dublin has twice-daily services at certain points, with 49 departures in July. WestJet also flies the MAX four times a week (18 flights in July) from Toronto to Cardiff, Glasgow, and Ponta Delgada.
WestJet’s final transatlantic gateway with the 737 MAX 8 is another hub in Atlantic Canada, namely St. John’s International Airport (YYT) in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. From here, the Canadian carrier flies its US-built narrowbody twinjets four times a week to London Gatwick Airport. Elsewhere, Dublin gets two flights a week from St. John’s, while Paris CDG has a weekly rotation.
WestJet Launches 8 New Nonstop Routes To Europe [List & Map]
The Canadian carrier has a busy summer in store!
What’s It Like Onboard?
As detailed below, WestJet recently found itself in hot water after densifying the layouts on some of its 737 MAX 8s. This proved unpopular with flyers, and the carrier soon reversed these changes. In any case, it has always favored its lower-density MAX jets on its transatlantic routes to provide greater comfort and a premium option. These aircraft have 12 business and 162 economy seats.
According to aeroLOPA, the business class seats are either Collins MiQ or RECARO CL4710 recliners, offering 38 inches of pitch and 20-21 inches of width. In economy, Collins Meridian or RECARO BL3520 seats offer 30 inches of pitch and 17 inches of width. With IFE streamed to your device rather than accessed via a screen, it is a somewhat spartan setup for long-haul flying. Whether it’s worth it to you will depend on how much WestJet’s cheap fares outweigh these drawbacks.
