WestJet launches Halifax-Glasgow service

WestJet’s inaugural flight from Halifax to Glasgow took flight last Friday evening, carrying its first group of passengers across the Atlantic in a little less than five hours.

During the flight, WestJet President Gregg Saretsky – who sported a tartan kilt to mark the occasion – and two of his vice presidents joined flight attendants to serve refreshments and snacks to guests, which included 30 WestJet employees and Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil.

"What more natural than an air link between ‘New’ and ‘Old’ Scotland?" Saretsky asked, adding that four per cent of Canadians have Scottish roots.

To celebrate the launch of the service (which will connect Halifax to Glasgow from May 29 to Oct. 26), guests on the inaugural flight were treated to speeches, a welcome cocktail and a concert of traditional Scottish music in the departure lounge of the Halifax airport.

The service will add 16,000 seats to passenger traffic at Halifax Stanfield International Airport, which saw 3.6 million passengers last year.

"We invested a lot of money to develop our facilities and this new flight is very important to us because it strengthens our international airport hub position," said Joyce F. Carter, president and CEO of the airport.

The flight landed to the sound of bagpipes and on Saturday night, guests were welcomed under the gilded ceilings of the City Hotel in Glasgow’s George Square. Presentations were made by Saretsky and Premier McNeil, along with Gordon Matheson, president of the city’s municipal council, and Gordon Campbell, Canada's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, while guests enjoyed Nova Scotia lobster burgers and Scotch whiskey.

Glasgow's town hall features a Victorian style, while the large marble staircase is reminiscent of the Italian Renaissance. "We get a lot of film crews," one municipal representative said. "The decor lends itself very well when shooting a movie which is supposed to happen at the Vatican. But it is also ideal when the action is supposed to take place in the Kremlin.”

Before departing on the inaugural voyage, WestJet President Gregg Saretsky sat down with PAX for an exclusive interview:

Q: Since you’re taking part in the inaugural flight, is it safe to say that this new service is important to you?

A: Very important! The connection that we launched last year, between St. John’s, Newfoundland and Dublin is one of the biggest successes in WestJet history. The occupancy rate is above 90 per cent. We believe we can repeat this performance with daily flights between Halifax and Glasgow. The first flight is full and the return flight is also going to be sold out. By the end of the season, we will have had 16,000 guests on this new route.

Q: Are these two links the first steps in a more ambitious program?

A: Certainly. As you know, we placed an order for four Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, which will be integrated into the fleet by the end of the year. These aircraft have a capacity of 262 seats. We will take delivery of the first in July and the second will arrive in October, followed by two in December. They will first serve in our domestic network, especially on the Calgary/Toronto route. But next year, we will deploy them on transatlantic routes.

Q: Which routes exactly?

A: I cannot tell you, just as I can’t tell you from which Canadian cities we will offer transatlantic routes. The board decided that we will announce it all in December. There will be six long-haul routes. Tonight, I take the flight to Glasgow, where I will attend the official events to celebrate the launch of the Halifax/Glasgow route. Two days later, I will undertake a European tour, during which I will meet airport authorities at the destinations in question to secure the establishment of these new routes.

Q: Can we also assume that you will use the Boeing 767 to serve Asia?

A: You can assume so. These aircraft have a range that would allow us to serve not only Asia but also South America. We are determined to grow internationally.

Q: To what extent? Will international service be as important as domestic routes for WestJet?

A: Of course not. We operate 126 aircraft on our domestic network, and four aircraft to serve long-haul routes. But we intend to become a significant player internationally. We will be very competitive. This is the case with the service that we are launching tonight between Halifax and Glasgow. People who want to go to Scotland had to go through Toronto, where Air Canada provides a route to Edinburgh. It takes them 10 hours. We offer them a flight today which leads them to Glasgow in five hours.