WestJet Seeks New Service to Spokane with Regional Subsidiary – AirlineGeeks.com
[ Routes ]Nov. 28, 2021 10:20 a.m. ET
From Winston Shek
WestJet is considering new service for Spokane with regional subsidiary
In a recent application to the US Department of Transportation, WestJet stated its intention to add a new destination to its cross-border network to the United States. In particular, the Calgary, Canada-based airline plans to launch flights to Spokane, Washington under its regional brand, WestJet Link.
If the application goes according to plan, Spokane will be flown daily to Calgary and Vancouver, making the airport’s first international scheduled flight service in more than a decade possible. From 1997 to 2004 the airport received its only international service from Calgary on the Canadian regional airline Central Mountain Air, which operated under the Air Canada code with Beech 1900D turboprop 18-seater aircraft. In the early 1990s, United Airlines and the now defunct AirBC served Calgary from Spokane.
This move marks Spokane’s third newest airline to enter the airport. One of the US airline’s newest startups, aha !, plans to launch its Embraer E145 service to Reno, Nevada later this year. Meanwhile, Sun Country plans to connect its Boeing 737 aircraft to its Minneapolis hub during the summer season.
During the pandemic, Spokane benefited from three new routes, including two new connections to Las Vegas and Phoenix on Allegiant and a new American Airlines flight to Chicago. However, Spokane will lose some services from Frontier Airlines as the airline resumes its flight in August 2022.
It is unclear when WestJet will begin these flights, although this is WestJet Link’s only service to the US, not to be confused with WestJet’s other regional subsidiary, WestJet Encore.
WestJet will begin its flights with Pacific Coastal Airlines’ Saab 340s, which will accommodate a total of 34 passengers in a 1-2-seat configuration. WestJet Link currently operates three Saab 340s, although a total of six Saab 340s can fly on the route.
WestJet Link was launched in 2017 to improve regional connectivity to WestJet hubs in Vancouver and Calgary. The regional airline began service in March 2018 and expanded to several smaller regional destinations in Alberta and British Columbia such as Medicine Hat. WestJet’s other regional subsidiary, WestJet Encore, operates the larger Bombardier Dash 8-400 to larger cities and some cross-border hops to destinations like Boston or Nashville.
WestJet currently serves 22 airports on the US mainland, including five each in California and Florida. This winter, the Calgary-based airline plans to add three routes to the US mainland, including a flight to its newest destination, Miami. In the Pacific Northwest, WestJet serves Seattle and Portland, Oregon, making Spokane a potential third destination in the region.
In addition to its moves in the US, WestJet is planning a transatlantic expansion. Last week the airline signed a codeshare deal with Air Transat to expand the breadth of its European network. From Toronto, WestJet will introduce new connections to Dublin, Ireland and Edinburgh, Scotland with its Boeing 737 MAX, while Westjet from Calgary will add new connections to London and Rome, the latter of which was originally scheduled to start in May 2020.
Ever since Winston was a toddler, he has always been fascinated by airplanes. From landing wide-body aircraft in Washington Dulles to traveling the world, Winston always kept his eyes on the sky. Winston began aviation photography in 2018 and now occasionally posts his photos on his Instagram account. He has previously written for a blog. In his spare time, Winston loves playing chess, recreational activities and watching sports. Winston plans to look into the future too looking to serve the aviation industry.
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