More planes, more value, more choice, more destinations.
All that -- and more -- is tied into WestJet's announcement that it's buying 67 more jets from aviation giant plane builder Boeing -- the largest order WestJet has ever made.
The order includes 60 737-10 MAX narrowbody jets, with options for 25 more, and seven 787-9 Dreamliner widebody jets, with options for four more.
737s are called 'narrowbody' because they have a single aisle down the middle of the plane with three seats either side of it.
With around 190 seats, it's the kind of aircraft flown on the routes like Kelowna-Winnipeg, Kelowna-Toronto and Kelowna-Cancun.
(WestJet also has a fleet of 39 De Havilland Q400 turbo-prop planes, the 78-seaters that fly routes such as Kelowna to Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton).
320-seat Dreamliners are called 'widebody' because they have more girth, two aisles running the length of the plane and a seat configuration of 3-3-3 in economy.
They are the size of plane WestJet most flies mostly out of its Calgary hub to long-haul and heavily travelled routes to London-Heathrow, Paris, Tokyo, Soeul, Maui, Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos.
"With the addition of these aircraft, WestJet has the largest order book of any airline in Canada and will double our fleet of Dreamliners, underpinning our growth plans and our commitment to affordable travel options for Canadians from coast to coast and exciting career paths for our people," said WestJet Chief Executive Officer, Alexis von Hoensbroech.
"These highly efficient and comfortable aircraft are critical to the growth and renewal of our fleet and will also significantly improve our fuel consumption."
Today's order increases the airline's current order book, to 123 aircraft and 40 options, while extending WestJet's fleet growth plans through 2034.
Yes, as the 2034 date indicates, planes will be built by Boeing and delivered to WestJet on a staggered timelines at regular intervals over the next decade.
While WestJet currently has 200 planes and flies to more than 100 destinations in North and Central America, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia, it all started humbly in 1996.
Then, the airline had just three refurbished 737s and flew between five destinations.
Kelowna was one of the original five and is still an important part of WestJet's network.
In fact, WestJet flies in and out of Kelowna International Airport more than any other airline.
It also offers the most non-stop destinations from Kelowna -- 14 in total -- to Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos and Mazatlan.
As the pioneer of low-cost air travel in Canada, WestJet was the catalyst for increasing the flying public in Canada by more than 50%.
For instance, people that routinely drove from Kelowna to Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary or Edmonton, might very well fly now because lower airfares make it possible.
"We are honored that WestJet has once again placed its trust in Boeing with a major investment that builds on our three decades of partnership and solidifies their fleet for the decades ahead," said Stephanie Pope, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
"We look forward to supporting WestJet's exciting growth as they leverage the 737 MAX and 787 Dreamliner to serve even more guests with great efficiency and comfort."
The constant refreshing of WestJet's fleet means the average age of its planes is 10 years, one of the youngest of established North American airlines.
WestJet also has divisions WestJet Vacations, Sunwing Vacations and WestJet Cargo.
