Canadian airlines WestJet has announced the launch of a non-stop daily service between Halifax, Canada; and Glasgow, Scotland, with same-aircraft service beginning in Toronto.
The inaugural flight on WestJet’s #TartanTail took off from Toronto Pearson on May 29 at 6:10 p.m. EDT with a brief stop at Halifax Stanfield International Airport, before departing for Glasgow at 10:45 p.m. ADT.
‘Today’s launch of service to the UK marks the start of another exciting chapter in the history of WestJet,’ said Gregg Saretsky, WestJet President and CEO. ‘As Canada’s low-fare leader for nearly 20 years, we have dedicated ourselves to liberating Canadians from the high cost of air travel. With our service to Ireland and the U.K., we are making it more affordable than ever before to travel overseas, whether for business or leisure.’
The Hon. Lisa Raitt, Minister of Transport, Government of Canada, commented: ‘By taking the initiative to seek out new opportunities beyond Canada’s borders and launching this new air route, WestJet is strengthening the historic ties between Nova Scotia and Scotland, and supporting our economy and communities by connecting Canadians to the United Kingdom and the world.’
Councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, said: ‘WestJet’s new Halifax-Glasgow route is a major boost for Glasgow, providing the perfect opportunity to strengthen existing cultural and business links between both cities. Canada is Glasgow’s third-largest international market with 37,000 trips made each year by Canadian visitors who generate GBP12 million for the city’s economy. There will undoubtedly be strong demand for this service, which has huge potential to deliver significant inbound leisure tourism.’
Mike Cantlay, OBE, Chairman of VisitScotland, added: ‘Canada and Nova Scotia in particular represent an exciting diaspora stronghold and a fantastic opportunity for Scottish tourism. Some 4.7 million Canadians have Scottish ancestry, with 24 per cent wanting to visit Scotland in search of those roots. The new WestJet route from Halifax to Glasgow presents a great platform for the tourism industry in Scotland to tap into an ancestral market worth up to GBP450 million over the next five years.’
Tourists and travellers flying with WestJet to Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city, land at 8 a.m. local time, offering opportunities to connect via 30 airlines to more than 100 non-stop and connecting destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia. The return flight departs Glasgow at 9.30 a.m. local time, to reach Toronto at 2.35 p.m.
Scotland’s principal long-haul airport and a charter hub, Glasgow offers tourists the convenience to explore the idyllic west coast islands and Scotland’s wealth of lochs, mountains and golf courses.
