WestJet has taken delivery of the first of ten
Boeing 787 Dreamliners it has on order.
Having long operated a fleet of single-aisle
jets, WestJet will use the long-range 787-9 Dreamliner to launch
new international routes.
"Today's delivery marks a new chapter for
WestJet," said Ed Sims, president and CEO of Calgary-based
WestJet. "Boeing's 787 Dreamliner is one of the most
technologically advanced aircraft ever flown and is the perfect
platform for our transition to a global network carrier. We look
forward to bringing Canadians to the world and the world to Canada
in comfort and style."
This spring, WestJet will use the 787-9
– the longest-range Dreamliner that can fly 7,635 nautical miles
(14,140km) – to offer the first-ever flight connecting Calgary and
Dublin. The airline will also offer non-stop Dreamliner service
between Calgary and London Gatwick and Calgary and Paris.
WestJet's 787-9 will accommodate 320 passengers
in a three-class configuration.
"We are excited to welcome our friends at
WestJet to the Dreamliner family. The airline has achieved
impressive growth with the Boeing 737 and will now use the 787's
unmatched performance and passenger comforts to profitably launch
a new 'global era'," said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of
Commercial Sales & Marketing for The Boeing Company.
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