Reuters;
http://www.vancouversun.com/travel/asia ... story.htmlFeb 29 WestJet Airlines Ltd has started talks with aircraft makers on replacements for its fleet of Boeing 767-300 planes, with delivery of the new planes expected by the end of this decade.
The Calgary-based airline is talking with Boeing Co and Airbus Group on options to replace the 767, an extended range aircraft that will serve Europe starting in May, Chief Executive Officer Gregg Saretsky told Reuters on Monday.
"At some point we will have to replace these 767s with next-generation widebody aircraft and we are talking with both Boeing and Airbus around the possibilities," said Saretsky, adding the new planes would enter Westjet's fleet in 2019 or 2020.
Westjet currently has three 767s and expects delivery of a fourth in April, with all four dedicated to non-stop flights to London's Gatwick airport from five Canadian cities.
The airline is also in the market for more 767s, as it looks to build out its Europe-focused fleet. Westjet offers seasonal flights from Canada to Dublin, Ireland and Glasgow, Scotland.
Saretsky declined to comment on any specific plans to expand into other markets, noting that the 11-hour range of the 767s would allow for direct flights from Canada to cities in Asia, Eastern Europe and South America.
Westjet, which launched as regional carrier in Calgary, Alberta exactly 20 years ago, now serves markets throughout Canada, the United States and Caribbean.
Shares closed up 5 percent at C$17.85 on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Monday.
It is becoming readily apparent that Calgary-based WestJet will likely soon join the long list of airlines flying Canada-to-Asia routes.
What is unclear, however, is whether the carrier’s future will focus on Vancouver — where much of Canada’s Asia-bound flights already originate — or if WestJet will leverage its existing base of operations (along with a new runway and a new international terminal opening soon) in Calgary.
As part of the airline’s 20th anniversary, WestJet CEO Gregg Saretsky has been making the rounds of Canadian media outlets in recent weeks. During a conversation with The Sun, Saretsky outlined a number of initiatives in the airline’s future: The increasing use of wide-body aircraft, the hiring of staff who can speak either Mandarin or Cantonese, as well as a new company logo that incorporates the maple leaf.
The obvious conclusion: WestJet is moving into the lucrative (but very competitive) non-U.S., non-sun-destination international market. The airline begins flying to London (Gatwick) on May 6.
“If you ask me today, ‘What other destinations are you going to fly to?’, well, we want to build all the infrastructure for that, in advance of us making that decision,” Saretsky said, noting WestJet is also looking for staff who can speak other European languages. “If we decide next year to fly to China, it’s too late to hire Cantonese and Mandarin speakers next year.
“We’re not going to disclose, for competitive reasons, where exactly we’re going to fly. But the fact we are hiring people who speak Portuguese, Italian, German, Mandarin and Cantonese gives people a pretty good guess at where we’re going next. We’re going to build that capacity so that, when it’s time to make a decision, it will be an easy trigger to pull.”
