Maritimers hope for WestJet regional service
Company launching low-fare regional airline
CBC News
Posted: Feb 8, 2012 5:29 PM AT
Last Updated: Feb 8, 2012 5:56 PM AT
WestJet employees voted 91 per cent to endorse the company's plans to launch a regional subsidiary. (CBC)
Maritimers may soon have more travel options as WestJet announced Wednesday it is launching a low-fare regional airline to compete with Air Canada.
WestJet employees have voted overwhelmingly to endorse the company's plans to launch a regional subsidiary starting in 2013.
The new plan is to buy 40 smaller turboprop aircraft.
WestJet chief executive Gregg Saretsky said he's pleased that 91 per cent of non-union employees, known internally as WestJetters, voted in favour of the proposal.
WestJet, the country's second-largest airline, already provides jet service out of Moncton, Halifax and Charlottetown.
The Calgary-based airline reported Monday that its traffic improved in January with a record load factor of 79.9 per cent, compared to 77.8 per cent in the previous year. It also said that it had 124,000 more passengers than last January.
The airline will send request for proposals to two airplane manufacturers to make those smaller aircraft: Bombardier, which makes the Q400 currently in use by Porter Airlines, and ATR, which makes the ATR 72-600.
The Greater Moncton International Airport would like to attract the new WestJet service, according to an airport spokeswoman.
The airport will be talking to WestJet about increasing the frequency of some flights and adding new destinations, said Johanne Gallant.
Gallant said the WestJet announcement is good news for all small airports.
The airline also recently announced a code-sharing agreement with Delta Airlines that would expand its network into the U.S.
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