Our strategy

WestJet has a clear runway for growth.

We are moving forward with an ambitious growth plan that will create a stronger and more resilient low-cost airline. Our renewed commitment to our roots is creating more affordable travel choices for all Canadians. We are dedicated to growing our airline with a commitment to reliability, operational excellence, and making our guests and our people central to everything we do. 

Our strategic pillars

WestJet was founded on the idea of improving air travel and making it affordable for Canadians. Our strategy focuses on key pillars that renew this commitment and drive growth.  

  1. Building a reliable and modern carrier

    Enhance WestJet’s reputation as a friendly, reliable and modern carrier.

  2. Driving economic growth

    Significantly grow our presence and network in the West and increase connections for Eastern communities to transcontinental and leisure routes.

  3. Leaning into leisure

    Invest further in leisure and sun flying as a priority across Canada.

  4. Investing in technology to improve guest experience

    Invest in technology and radical digitalization to improve our guest experience and simplify internal processes to ensure meaningful and engaging jobs for our people.

  5. Maintaining affordability

    Redoubling efforts to maintain our successful and highly productive low-cost structure and culture and ensure relentless competitiveness and affordability for our guests.

Building the modern fleet of tomorrow

The WestJet Group's fleet, with an average age under 10 years, is among the youngest of established North American carriers. The fleet consists of nearly 200 aircraft, with 138 Boeing 737s.

To match our commercial priorities, in 2023 WestJet reallocated its existing widebody Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners to the West and temporarily paused further Dreamliner orders. 

In 2023, WestJet’s regional fleet of De Havilland Q400 aircraft shifted focus to Western Canada, removing complexity from operations, and supporting our commitment to enhance Western Canada’s connectivity. 

With lower fuel consumption, reduced emissions and one of the lowest costs per seat among mid-range aircraft, our Boeing 737 MAX aircraft will be a key driver of our long-term growth, keeping flights affordable and more sustainable for Canadians, as we grow.  

Growing our network in Canada

Over the long run, we will be growing at all the airports we actively serve in Canada:

  • Growing our presence and network in the West, fostering our undisputed status as the home-team carrier of Western Canada. As a national airline, we will still maintain a substantial presence in the Eastern provinces, through direct connections to cities in the West and increased access to leisure and sun destinations.
  • Adding more sun and leisure flying for Central and Eastern Canada, to meet increased consumer demand.
  • Designating YYC Calgary International Airport as our single global connecting hub, unlocking opportunity for new routes within North America and to destinations in Europe and Asia.
  • Returning to our successful and highly productive low-cost structure and culture, to ensure relentless competitiveness and affordability for our guests. 

Committing to operational excellence

We are committed to being Canada’s most reliable airline, outperforming other airlines in on-time departures, arrivals, and completion factor. 

We realize that extreme weather events and other disruptions can cause delays and cascade throughout our system. We continue to learn from these experiences and collaborate with the entire airline industry to create a seamless, reliable and resilient transportation system in Canada.  

We are committed to operational excellence and to addressing pain points. Our Operational Excellence plan includes:

  • Improving guest-facing capabilities through timely and accurate communications and expanded self-serve disruption management.
  • Investing in back-end system development to ensure that our people have the information and tools needed to keep our operation moving.
  • Implementing schedule resilience options to isolate disruptions and help our operation recover more quickly.
  • Updating our Extreme Irregular Operations playbook to speed up decision making during large scale disruptions.

Soaring Together

Connecting Canadians and communities is at the heart of what we do. With our partners and our valuable people by our side, we are committed to actioning our strategic vision and continuing to serve Canadian travellers as the most reliable airline in Canada. 

  • “WestJet’s low-cost roots have been the foundation of the historical success of our company. As we realize our ambitious growth plans, we will bring more air service to Canadian communities and connect more people to what matters most, through friendly and affordable air travel.” 

    – Alexis von Hoensbroech, WestJet CEO 

WestJet strategy articles from our Newsroom

Helpful links

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Building a reliable and modern carrier

Enhance WestJet’s reputation as a friendly, reliable and modern carrier.

Driving economic growth

Significantly grow our presence and network in the West and increase connections for Eastern communities to transcontinental and leisure routes.

Leaning into leisure 

Invest further in leisure and sun flying as a priority across Canada.

Investing in technology to improve guest experience

Invest in technology and radical digitalization to improve our guest experience and simplify internal processes to ensure meaningful and engaging jobs for our people.

Maintaining affordability

Redoubling efforts to maintain our successful and highly productive low-cost structure and culture and ensure relentless competitiveness and affordability for our guests.