WestJet kicks off Restart Roundtables in Saskatchewan

Virtual meeting brings together Government of Saskatchewan, business leaders, airports and tourism organizations

“With vaccination rates rising, we are now in a position to safely and methodically reopen the province’s visitor economy. Thank you to WestJet for supporting and leading the way as we make steps to safely bring travellers to and from the province,” Harrison, continued. 

“With the Government of Saskatchewan’s science and data-based reopening plans, our industry is charting the path forward,” said Mary Taylor-Ash, President and CEO Tourism Saskatchewan. “Attending WestJet’s restart roundtable provided more optimism that while we need to be measured, we have the right partners in place to gradually and safely restart Saskatchewan’s visitor economy, start reconnecting friends, families and economies and ensure that Canadians can see this wonderful province this summer.”

“Indigenous tourism is a very unique differentiator to Canada and the growth in demand and bookings in recent years is a true highlight of the importance of having more indigenous voices within the tourism industry, but it has been a rough 16 months for our operators, many of whom are small and medium sized business owners,” said Kelly Fiddler, Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada Board Chair representing Saskatchewan. “Today’s meeting provided additional optimism that with creative collaborations and strong strategic partnerships recovery will be possible. We are thankful to WestJet for being proactive in stimulating travel so that we can see that ripple effect and together, we will make it through.”

WestJet has been a strong supporter of Saskatchewan. In 2019 alone, the airline employed more than 2,500 jobs and generated more than $230 million in economic output. 

WestJet has connected Regina and Saskatoon to Canada since 1996 where the communities have served as significant components of the airline’s Western Canadian network ever since. 

Pre-COVID, WestJet provided more than 2.1 million total seats, operated up to 380 weekly departures to 10 destinations and connected the province to its broader network including Europe, the Caribbean and Hawaii through one-stop service from its hubs in Calgary and Toronto. 

This summer, WestJet is helping to bring the province’s visitor economy back to life with more than 90 weekly departures between Saskatoon, Regina and Kelowna, Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg and Toronto among others. The airline also added three net-new routes to stimulate air travel to some of the hardest hit communities whose small businesses and workers have been adversely affected by pandemic.

Stated Andrew Gibbons, WestJet Vice-President Government Relations, “It is critical for us to speak with our partners that were in attendance to ensure Saskatchewanites have access to affordable air service and domestic connectivity to drive their economic recovery. The airline remains committed to safely connecting the province to the rest of Canada and restoring one of the backbones of its economy.” 

WestJet Saskatchewan route and schedule frequency