Tag: Halifax

WestJet to expand services to Canada from Dublin

Canadian airline WestJet is planning to increase services between Atlantic Canada and Dublin Airport in summer 2019.

The airline will launch a new daily summer service from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Dublin from next April, but is discontinuing its existing summer service from St John’s, Newfoundland to Dublin.

The Halifax-Dublin service will operate from April 29, 2019 until October 25, 2019. Last month WestJet announced that it would operate a new three times weekly Calgary-Dublin service next summer.

Applauding the move, Dublin Airport Managing Director Vincent Harrison, said ‘Canada has been a really strong market for Dublin Airport in recent years, with excellent business and leisure traffic, and this expansion will help it grow even further. Additional capacity will generate more tourism visitors for Ireland and further enhance the already strong business and trade links between Ireland and Canada.’

The expansion will increase WestJet’s capacity from Atlantic Canada to Ireland by 27 percent, as the new Halifax service will be operated by a new Boeing 737-MAX aircraft. The Halifax flights will be timed to optimise connections with WestJet’s services to central Canada and the Atlantic provinces.

Halifax will be one of six Canadian destinations served directly from Dublin Airport next summer; joining Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Hamilton, Ontario. Dublin Airport will also have direct services to 18 destinations in the United States next year as part of its largest ever transatlantic offering.

Dublin Airport has served nearly 27 million passengers in the first 10 months of the year, which is a 6% increase compared to the same period in 2017. More than 1.6 million additional passengers have travelled through the airport between January and October.

WestJet announces new daily direct service to London from Halifax

Canadian airline WestJet has announced plans to launch a daily direct flight service between Halifax Stanfield International Airport and Gatwick Airport in London.

The new route is part of WestJet’s 2018 summer schedule, and also includes a new route from Halifax to Paris. Starting April 29, WestJet will begin daily service between Halifax and London (Gatwick), while the service to Paris will begin on May 31, 2018. One-way introductory fares from Halifax to London or Paris are available for 199 Canadian dollars all inclusive.

‘As the carrier with the most transatlantic flights from Halifax, we are thrilled to announce our first foray onto the European mainland,’ said Ed Sims, WestJet Executive Vice-President, and Commercial. ‘Venturing to London and now Paris is an indication of our ambitious growth plans as we move towards becoming a global network carrier.’

‘We look forward to working with WestJet to launch this exciting new long-haul route, which will further enhance Gatwick’s position as the world’s busiest departure airport for low-cost, long-haul services,’ said Guy Stephenson, Chief Commercial Officer, Gatwick Airport. ‘Halifax has lots to offer visitors from the U.K., with its rich maritime history, year-round festivals and buoyant nightlife making it a must-visit global city. With Halifax also being one of Canada’s main economic hubs, these new flights will provide an important link between the two countries’ business communities at a time when worldwide connections are vital for the U.K.’

‘We’re delighted with WestJet’s new routes to and from Halifax, as France and the U.K. are among the largest tourism markets and most important trading partners in Europe. Strengthening ties with strategic markets in Europe is good for inbound tourism, trade, investment and immigration,’ says Joyce Carter, President and CEO of Halifax International Airport Authority. ‘This announcement demonstrates confidence in our community, our region and our future as Halifax Stanfield connects travellers to and from Europe and beyond.’

The new flights will be operated on the airline’s new and guest-friendly aircraft, the Boeing 737-8 MAX, the airline said.

WestJet announces new service to Glasgow

Canadian low-cost carrier WestJet Airlines has announced Glasgow, United Kingdom, as its newest European destination.

Beginning May 29, 2015 to October 23, 2015, the airline will operate daily non-stop flights from Halifax with direct (same-aircraft) service from Toronto, on one of the airline’s Boeing Next-Generation 737-700 series aircraft. Daily connections are also offered from Glasgow via Halifax or Toronto to Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and 16 other cities in WestJet’s Canadian network.

With the new service, WestJet expects to serve Nova Scotians visiting family and friends, and Canadian visitors looking for an exclusive Scottish experience, as well as British guests travelling to Canada.

Bob Cummings, WestJet Executive Vice-President, Sales, Marketing and Guest Experience, said: This year’s launch of service to Dublin has proved popular with existing transatlantic flyers and with new guests alike, thanks to market growth driven by drastically reduced fares.’

‘Fares to Glasgow will be as much as fifty per cent off existing prices, so we’ll once again grow the market. Increased European operational and marketing experience is important as we count the months until four Boeing 767-300ERW aircraft join our fleet to further grow our network.’

Peter MacKay, Regional Minister for Nova Scotia and Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, added: ‘Many Nova Scotians and Canadians trace their family roots back to Scotland and will be thrilled with increased ability to connect.

WestJet’s addition of this direct flight to Glasgow will not only strengthen economic ties with Europe, furthering opportunities for trade in concert with CETA, but will also strengthen significant ties to a country that has had a significant impact on Canada’s cultural, social, artistic, military and political fabric.’

‘We are delighted that WestJet will offer direct service to Glasgow,’ said Joyce Carter, President and CEO of the Halifax International Airport Authority. ‘This new route connects our region to a destination that has deep-rooted cultural significance for many of us, and takes full-advantage of pent-up demand for service to this market.’

WestJet will also resume its much popular service between St. John’s, Newfoundland, and Dublin, Ireland, on May 1, 2015, six weeks earlier than in 2014.