Airline Chronological History
WestJet is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. It was founded on the 27 June 1994. It was the third largest airline in Canada, behind Canadian Airlines International Inc. and Air Canada. It began operations in 1996 with 220 employees, three aircraft, and five destinations. It was launched as a low-cost alternative to the country's major airlines.
WestJet officially began service on February 29, 1996, launching operations with three Boeing 737-200 aircraft serving only five cities: Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Kelowna, and Winnipeg. From the beginning, the carrier emphasized a single-type fleet strategy, point-to-point routing, and an upbeat corporate culture that would soon become central to its brand identity.
West Jet started operations in 1996 with Boeing 737-200 serving only five cities: Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Kelowna, and Winnipeg. (Photo: Planetspotters.net) A key early milestone occurred in 1996, when WestJet transported its first 100,000 passengers, demonstrating strong demand for low-fare travel across Western Canada. By 1997, the airline expanded to include cities such as Regina, Saskatoon, and Victoria, strengthening its presence in the region. Its early success led to rapid fleet growth, and by 1999, WestJet operated 10 Boeing 737 aircraft—double the number planned in its original business model.
The 2000s marked a transformative decade as WestJet evolved from a regional low-cost carrier into a major national and international airline. In July 1999, WestJet launched its initial public offering (IPO), raising capital for expansion. This allowed the airline to begin its ambitious growth into Eastern Canada. By 2000, WestJet added Hamilton, Moncton, and Ottawa, and by 2001, service reached Toronto and St. John’s, creating a truly nationwide network.
WestJet continued renewing and growing its fleet. The early 2000s saw the introduction of the Boeing 737 Next Generation series (737-600, 737-700, and 737-800). The first 737-700 joined the fleet in December 2000, offering greater range and fuel efficiency.
The first 737-700 joined the fleet in December 2000. (Photo: Airfleets.net) International expansion began in 2004, as the airline launched flights to the United States, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, and Las Vegas. By 2007, WestJet expanded into the Caribbean and Mexico with new routes to Montego Bay, Nassau, Cancún, and Puerto Vallarta.
One of the most important developments came in 2008, when WestJet announced a major partnership with Air France–KLM, marking its entry into global airline partnerships. In 2009, the airline joined the Global Distribution System (GDS), enabling travel agents worldwide to sell WestJet flights—another step toward full international integration.
In 2013, WestJet launched its first regional subsidiary, WestJet Encore, operating Bombardier Q400 turboprops. This enabled service to smaller communities such as Brandon, Fort St. John, and Nanaimo, and strengthened WestJet’s network depth across Canada.
In 2013, WestJet launched its first regional subsidiary, WestJet Encore, operating Bombardier Q400 turboprops. (Photo: planespotters.net) Long-haul international ambitions continued. In 2015, WestJet introduced the Boeing 767-300ER, its first wide-body aircraft, and launched flights to London-Gatwick, marking its debut across the Atlantic.
In 2015, WestJet introduced the Boeing 767-300ER, its first wide-body aircraft, and launched flights to London-Gatwick. (Photo: airfleets.net) By the late 2010s, WestJet began reshaping itself into a hybrid carrier—maintaining low-cost roots while offering premium products. In 2018, WestJet unveiled its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, featuring lie-flat business-class suites and enabling new global routes. Long-haul service expanded to cities such as Paris, Dublin, and Rome, positioning WestJet as a competitive transatlantic operator.
In 2018, WestJet unveiled its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, enabling new global routes to Paris, Dublin and Rome. (Photo: airfleets.net) A significant corporate shift occurred in May 2019, when WestJet was acquired by Onex Corporation, a Canadian private equity firm. The airline remained headquartered in Calgary, but the acquisition provided financial backing for fleet modernization and international expansion. The airline also announced flights between Toronto and Barcelona, its second destination in mainland Europe which began in May 2019. In June 2021, WestJet announced the opening of a new route from Calgary to Amsterdam followed by Seattle in November 2021.
During the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022), WestJet significantly reduced its schedule, grounded much of its fleet, and paused several international routes. Despite challenges, the airline pivoted to domestic and leisure travel, restoring routes gradually as demand recovered.
In 2021, WestJet introduced the Boeing 737 MAX 8, enhancing efficiency and supporting longer medium-haul routes. By 2022, the airline restored key services to Europe and announced major fleet and network plans.
In 2021, WestJet introduced the Boeing 737 MAX 8 (Photo: airfleets.net) Recent years have seen renewed consolidation and focused expansion. WestJet strengthened its 737 MAX order book, planning to operate one of the youngest all-Boeing narrow-body fleets in North America.
In 2023, the airline announced the integration of Sunwing Airlines into the WestJet Group, expanding its leisure travel footprint across Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America. The WestJet Encore continues to operate Q400 aircraft, supporting essential regional routes.
After the Pandemic WestJet upgraded its premium products, including improved business-class service on long-haul flights on Boeing 787-9 Aircraft. (Photo: princeoftravel.com) As of today, WestJet, plans to continue strengthening Calgary as its primary global hub and expanding Dreamliner operations from Western Canada to Europe and Asia. Increasing service to sun and leisure destinations and the continuing fleet modernization with more 737 MAX aircraft. While also enhancing premium products, including improved business-class service on long-haul flights.
With a renewed focus on Western Canada and global connectivity, WestJet is positioning itself for sustainable growth into the next decade.
Airline Factual Information
WestJet currently operates out of two hubs. Calgary is WestJet's Western Canada global hub. WestJet's fleet of Boeing 787-9 aircraft are based at this airport. Whilst Toronto–Pearson is WestJet's Eastern Canada hub connecting to destinations across Canada, Europe and the Caribbean.
As of 2025, WestJet flies to destinations across North America, Europe, Asia, and South America (first route from 2026). The airline operates a significant domestic network across the entire country, with operations mainly focused in Western Canada and connecting flights to its long haul routes. Below is the list of destinations from WestJet at the time of publishing:
Updated January 2026
WestJet operates an all Boeing mainline fleet with Boeing 787-9 used mainly for long Haul routes and the Boeing 737 used for the American continent routes. With new Boeing 737-Max10 arriving in the coming years.
It's fleet is composed of the following aircraft:
Updated December 2025
