For the second year in a row, American Airlines is the only passenger airline to be included in the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (DJSI)

American has improved its overall score and remains the only passenger carrier to appear in the index

 For the second year in a row, American Airlines is the only passenger airline to be included in the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (DJSI). American increased its year-over-year score by more than 20%, a strong recognition of the progress the airline has made toward reaching its environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals.

The 2022 DJSI comprises North American sustainability leaders as identified by S&P Global through the Corporate Sustainability Assessment. It represents the top 20% of the largest 600 North American companies in the S&P Global Broad Market Index (BMI) based on long-term economic, environmental and social criteria.

“Returning to the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index for a second straight year is a tremendous honor,” American’s CEO Robert Isom said. “We know there’s still a great deal of work to do, but I’m proud of the strides our entire team has made over the past year. As we continue to build American to thrive forever, we will keep holding ourselves to this high standard of aviation industry leadership.”

In 2022, American became the first airline in history to receive a CORSIA-certified batch of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and furthered its commitment to SAF usage by announcing a new agreement to purchase an additional 500 million gallons over five years from Gevo, Inc., an important step in reaching the airline’s goal to replace 10% of its jet fuel with SAF by 2030. As part of its commitment to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, American also became the first U.S. airline to make two direct investments focused on the development of both hydrogen-electric propulsion technology and the future of hydrogen distribution logistics.

American was also recognized for its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. The airline has received high scores from leading benchmark organizations including a top score of 100 from the Disability Equality Index; the highest possible rating of 100 from the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, which named American a 2022 Best Place to Work for LGBTQ equality; and recognition from the Seramount Inclusion Index for the fifth straight year for the airline’s efforts to create an inclusive workplace.

In addition, the DJSI noted American’s continued efforts to advance its ESG goals while maintaining the highest standards of safety. Last year, the airline successfully mitigated 100% of identified safety risks and hazardous situations for mainline flights. The achievement comes during a year in which American operated the largest flight schedule of any U.S. carrier.

The full results and list of Index constituents are available online.

American released its latest ESG Report in July, which details the progress the company made on key ESG priorities in 2021 and provides the airline’s updated analysis of its path to net-zero emissions by 2050.

More information on American’s approach to ESG is available at aa.com/esg, and details on the airline’s sustainability strategy are available at aa.com/sustainability.

Air Cargo World names Jason Berry as Cargo Executive of The Year

 

Air Canada today congratulated Jason Berry, Vice President, Cargo, on being named Executive of the Year by Air Cargo World, one of the longest-standing publications focused on the transportation and logistics industries.

"This award is a very well-deserved recognition for Jason, which I know he shares with his team. Since joining Air Canada to lead our cargo division, he has demonstrated his ability to build and lead a strong team that is well positioned to drive our cargo business forward. Coming to Air Canada Cargo at the height of the pandemic presented a unique set of challenges, and he rose to meet them head on. He sought out new opportunities, implemented new strategies, oversaw the introduction of our Boeing 767 freighters and furthered investments in technology and our people to position the business for growth and continued success," said Lucie Guillemette, Executive Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer at Air Canada.

Under his leadership, Air Canada Cargo posted record revenues in 2021 and continues to grow its business through critical investments in infrastructure and technology. That includes a cold chain facility at its global Toronto Hub, warehouse expansion in Frankfurt and a continued investment in digital solutions to streamline operations and better serve its customers.

Jason joined Air Canada Cargo in January of 2021, and has overseen a tremendous transformation that has resulted in a thriving cargo division despite the effects of the pandemic on the global supply chain. The most visible sign of that transformation has been the entry into service of dedicated Boeing 767-300 freighters, with two in operation and eight more on the way. Air Canada has also ordered two Boeing 777 freighters for delivery in 2024.

To determine the 2022 Air Cargo Executive of the Year, Air Cargo World's editorial team elected four outstanding leaders in airfreight based on notable contributions, such as innovation and growth, made in 2022. Air Cargo World also received feedback from a 300-plus reader survey, which the editorial team used in its final evaluation.

Finnair gets loan extension

Finnair announced in its Stock Exchange Release on 20 May 2020 that the Finnish Government has approved that the State of Finland guarantees Finnair’s pension premium loan up to 540 million euros. With the state guarantee and the following pension premium loan, Finnair aimed to further secure its cash position and business continuity also after the exceptional situation caused by the corona crisis. Further, a commercial bank guaranteed up to 60 million euros of the loan. The arrangement was compliant with the EU state aid regulations and was approved by the European Commission on 18 May 2020.

Finnair drew down the 600-million-euro pension premium loan in three tranches in 2020 and based on the agreed schedule, the loan was planned to be repaid in two 300-million-euro tranches in December 2022 and in June 2023.

The EU Commission’s competition authority approved the extension of the 540-million-euro guarantee related to the pension premium loan on 20 June 2022. To maintain its cash funds in the prevailing uncertain operating environment, the company has agreed with other parties to extend the guarantees and the loan. The loan maturity is extended until 2025 and the repayment schedule is amended so that the company will amortise the loan by 100 million euros every 6 months. However, the remaining two 100-million-euro tranches will be paid in full on 15 May 2025. As opposed to the previous schedule, the loan will not be amortised in December 2022.

Icelandic low-cost carrier PLAY selects MOST's end-to-end payment solution

PLAY, the Icelandic low-cost carrier, has selected MOST, makers of technology for a world on the move, to provide it with onboard retailing and payment solutions, including software, hardware and payment gateway services. Working with MOST will allow crewmembers to accept secure payments quickly and easily from passengers onboard the aircraft.  

 

Starting from December 6, PLAY will upgrade from its existing card readers on board and implement three of MOST's modular payment solutions: most.Retail, most.Pay and most.Onthego. The deployment covers PLAY's entire fleet of A320 family aircraft. 

  

As the launch customer for three of MOST's products, PLAY is paving the way for a future of frictionless inflight payment technology. MOSTs cutting-edge digital retail platform, payment sled hardware and payment gateway technology will mean that PLAY passengers can look forward to a more convenient and streamlined travel experience, and crew can efficiently complete transactions in the cabin.

With PLAY already serving 24 destinations in Europe and the United States from its hub in Keflavik, Iceland, MOST's end-to-end payment solutions enable passengers on both sides of the Atlantic to use their preferred payment option. PLAY's passengers will be able to tap and pay with all major cards or digital wallets worldwide in currencies including EURO, US Dollars and ISK when ordering inflight food and beverages. A sophisticated special offer engine and forecasting tools will also help PLAY to maximize inflight sales opportunities as it grows. 

 

MOST will also supply the airline with customized and company-branded mobile payment accessories. PLAY's crew will be using smartphones paired with payment modules from MOST to complete transactions, track onboard inventory and perform other tasks, such as delivering eco-friendly e-receipts to passengers. The crew devices will sit in a custom casing, designed ergonomically with crew comfort in mind and manufactured in PLAY's signature brand colours. The cases provide increased physical protection for crew devices and feature a detachable payment peripheral that can be removed to get closer to the cardholder.

  

"We are delighted to be working with an energetic airline brand such as PLAY as it continues to expand its fast-growing route network across North America and Europe," said MOST CEO Jan Blanchard. "This airline is hungry for success, and they have plenty of room to grow. Our solutions will help PLAY deliver on its low-cost model and bolster ancillary revenues by simplifying inflight sales and removing barriers to payment on board."

  

PLAY CIO Georg Haraldsson added: "This is an exciting time for our airline as we continue to invest in innovative solutions that will help us boost ancillary revenues and enhance the travel experience for our passengers. Technology and service are key to our strategy as a low-cost carrier, and MOST has delivered an excellent combination of specialist hardware and software. We trust them to help us achieve our goals."

Four key times private aircraft were put to good use.

After it was reported that a stream of celebrities were hopping on and off private jets for journeys taking less than 15 minutes, there has been much controversy around the impact of business jets on the environment.

While utilising jets in this way is undoubtedly extravagant, business jets are also being used as a crucial contributor for many worthy causes. Here, Deborah Scott, finance director of component supply specialist Artemis Aerospace, reveals four times that private jets were put to good use.

Delivering essential medical equipment

During the pandemic, many countries lacked the medical resources and critical means to care for COVID-19 patients. Global air cargo carriers were under mounting pressure, with IATA estimating that they were oversubscribed by 30%.

To alleviate this pressure, a number of private jet companies turned their attention to supporting international COVID-19 response efforts by transporting tonnes of medical equipment, including face masks, PPE and medicines, to destinations in need of assistance.

One such company was Vimana Private Jets, which delivered more than 300 tonnes of medical resources between March and July 2020.

Amazing Thailand 10 Million Celebrations

Thai Lion Air joins the "Amazing Thailand 10 Million Celebrations" event organized by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Ministry of Tourism and Sports at Don Mueang Airport, which is 1 of 9 event venues. Nationwide to celebrate the important occasion of welcoming 10 million foreign tourists who enter to Thailand (information from the Immigration Office) according to the goal of promoting foreign markets in 2022. 

various dignitaries as well as Miss Tourism World Thailand joined in welcoming and giving souvenirs to tourists who travel on flight SL 117, Thai Lion Air from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Jakarta arriving at Don Mueang Airport, Bangkok at 8:10 a.m., delivering an impressive atmosphere to tourists with Soft Power of Thailand, a cultural puppet show. and give a flower garland and various souvenirs for tourists travelling on this flight. For a warm welcome, make an impression in preparing to support quality tourists as well as deliver valuable travel experiences in a new perspective to enhance the Amazing Thailand brand image and reinforce Thailand as the most popular destination in the heart of tourists.

ACJ partners with Citadel to extend its Service Centre Network

ACJ partners with Citadel to extend its Service Centre Network 

 

                 Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ) has signed a partnership agreement with Citadel Completions LLC, based in Chennault International Airport, Louisiana, USA, to enter the ACJ Services Centre Network. Citadel will provide to ACJ customers a wide spectrum of capabilities, including maintenance, engineering, modification and upgrade services. The signature took place at MEBAA, the Middle East and North Africa's leading business aviation event in Dubai.

The ACJ Service Centre Network already has locations in Dubai (UAE), Xiamen (PRC), Basel (Switzerland), Bordeaux (France) and Indianapolis (US). Capabilities include all maintenance-related activities, cabin refurbishing and cabin/system upgrades, giving ACJ customers/operators a globally approved network of facilities to rely on.

Citadel delivers superior customized service to its clients and is focused on design excellence and on-time aircraft redelivery. The company’s exceptional facilities include a 10,000 ft runway to accommodate the largest aircraft and a highly skilled labour force for heavy maintenance, repair and overhaul services. The facility covers a sprawling 260,000 square feet, and its multiple hangars can accommodate multiple aircraft projects simultaneously. Citadel can support aircraft registered worldwide and holds Part 145 Repair Station certifications from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.

More than 210 Airbus corporate jets are in service worldwide, flying on every continent, including Antarctica, and more than 1,800 private and business aviation Airbus helicopters are in service worldwide.

Delta resumes service to Cuba in spring 2023

Delta Air Lines is restarting its service to Havana, Cuba, with two daily nonstop flights from Miami International Airport (MIA) beginning April 10, 2023.

With this restart, customers travelling through Miami will have access to 203 weekly nonstop flights at 10 U.S. airports.

The flights will operate on an Airbus A320 aircraft with a choice of First Class, Delta Comfort+ or Main Cabin. All customers will have a variety of tasty treats to pick from, including unique products from small and diverse brands like Kate’s Real Food Lemon Coconut bars, Thrive Farmers Tea and Du Nord vodka.

All customers on flights from Miami to Havana can enjoy complimentary Delta Studio featuring more than 1,000 hours of on-demand in-flight entertainment and exclusive partner-curated content from Peloton and Spotify. Additionally, free mobile messaging is available via iMessage, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, plus optional access to high-speed Wi-Fi.

Delta made its return to the Cuban market in 2016 after a 55-year hiatus, but suspended service in March 2020 in response to COVID-19. In line with continued strong demand, Delta remains committed to fully restoring its network by next summer, as shared on the September quarter 2022 financial results call.  

Customers interested in travelling to Havana should refer to the U.S. Embassy website for details on travel requirements.

Starting April 10, Delta’s new MIA-HAV service will operate as follows:

Flight 1	Departs	Arrives	Operating Day	Aircraft
DL1787	Miami at 9:05 a.m.	Havana at 10:20 a.m.	Daily	A320
DL1788	Havana at 11:55 a.m.	Miami at 1:05 p.m.	Daily	A320
Flight 2	Departs	Arrives	Operating Day	Aircraft
DL1789	Miami at 1:40 p.m.	Havana at 3:00 p.m.	Daily	A320
DL1790	Havana at 4:25 p.m.	Miami at 5:35 p.m.	Daily	A320

 

Delta's Airbus A320 - 200 feature First Class, Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin sections with onboard Wi-Fi for purchase and all cabins have in-seat power and in-seat video. Delta has 58 of the type in service.

JetBlue and American Airlines expand flying in New York and Boston as part of Northeast Alliance

JetBlue Expands its Route Map in New York and Adds New International Destination From Boston

American Introduces a Half Dozen New Destinations from LaGuardia and Boosts Frequencies in Boston

 

JetBlue and American Airlines has announced they are further increasing competition for travellers in the Northeast with the addition of a wide variety of new nonstop destinations set to take off from New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) in 2023. The new flying – which includes many routes with limited competition today – is made possible through JetBlue and American’s innovative and effective Northeast Alliance (NEA).

Next year, the NEA will fly nearly 300 daily departures from New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) and will serve 49 of the top 50 global markets. Across New York’s three major airports, the NEA will fly more than 500 daily departures in 2023, as well as nearly 200 daily departures in Boston.

“The Northeast Alliance is bringing more of JetBlue’s low fares and great service to more customers,” said Dave Fintzen, vice president, Northeast Alliance, JetBlue. “As we continue to enhance the Northeast Alliance and link more destinations with new nonstop choices, customers finally have a compelling alternative to the carriers that have dominated the market for too long.”

JetBlue’s New Flying

In spring 2023, JetBlue will introduce nonstop flying between LaGuardia and:

• Atlanta (ATL) – 4x daily
• Bermuda (BDA) – Once daily, summer seasonal (a)
• Hyannis, Mass. (HYA) – Once daily, summer seasonal
• Nassau, Bahamas (NAS) – Once daily (a)

In summer 2023, JetBlue will expand its premium Mint® flying with Saturday service between Newark and Aruba (AUA). The airline will also reintroduce flying between Newark and Montego Bay, Jamaica (MBJ) with once daily summer seasonal service.

In New England, JetBlue plans to expand the airline’s service in Canada with daily summer seasonal service between Boston and Vancouver, B.C. (YVR). New Vancouver flying will complement JetBlue’s service between New York-JFK and Vancouver, which first launched earlier this year also as part of growth related to the NEA.

All new JetBlue routes will go on sale in January 2023 and all new American routes go on sale this weekend.

WestJet announces commitment to grow Alberta's Indigenous tourism industry

Indigenous Tourism Alberta and WestJet sign three-year strategic partnership agreement

WestJet has just announced an agreement with Indigenous Tourism Alberta (ITA) to bolster support for Indigenous travel and tourism businesses and create meaningful employment opportunities for Indigenous Canadians as the airline grows its global presence.  The announcement was commemorated by an official signing of a memorandum of understanding at ITA's annual Gathering in the presence of more than 300 travel and tourism partners and government representatives on Treaty 6, Métis Region 4, Edmonton Alberta.

"We are grateful to build upon our meaningful partnership and continued collaboration with ITA as we work together to foster important opportunities for Indigenous travel and tourism businesses and entrepreneurs right here in our home province," said Angela Avery, WestJet Group Executive Vice-President and Chief People, Corporate & Sustainability Officer. "As Alberta's home carrier, we provide service to seven communities across the province and have built our global hub in Calgary, which benefits all of Western Canada. Indigenous tourism and the history, stories and culture that accompany it, are essential to growing Alberta's visitor economy and provide meaningful opportunities to advance economic and cultural reconciliation."   

Air Greenland becomes latest A330neo operator and Flight Hour Services customer

Air Greenland becomes the latest A330neo operator and  Flight Hour Services customer

Air Greenland has taken delivery of an A330-800 widebody aircraft, becoming the latest operator of the type. 

The A330neo will replace previous generation aircraft in the company's fleet, reducing operating cost, improving environmental efficiency while offering an unrivalled passenger experience.  Air Greenland’s A330neo will comfortably accommodate 305 passengers, featuring 42 Premium class seats and 263 Economy class seats.

Air Greenland has also firmed up an agreement with Airbus on Flight Hour Services (FHS) covering component supply and maintenance services. Based on a circular economy model and carbon footprint reduction the Airbus FHS offers more sustainability  throughout the aircraft's life cycle.  More than 1,200 aircraft worldwide are currently being contracted under  Airbus FHS. 

To underline Air Greenland’s sustainability strategy the delivery flight will be powered by a 30 percent blend of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

Air Greenland will first deploy the A330neo between the arctic island and Denmark, adding North American and European routes at a later date. 

The A330neo features the award-winning Airspace cabin, providing passengers with a high level of comfort, ambience and design. This includes offering more personal space, larger overhead bins, a new lighting system, and the ability to offer the latest in-flight entertainment systems and full connectivity. As with all Airbus aircraft, the A330neo also features a state-of-the-art cabin air system ensuring a clean and safe environment during the flight.

The A330neo is the new generation version of the popular A330 widebody. Incorporating the latest generation Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines, new wings and a range of aerodynamic innovations, the aircraft offers a 25 percent reduction in fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions. The A330-800 is capable of flying 8 150 nm / 15 094 km non-stop.

At the end of October, the A330 Family had registered a total of over 1,700 firm orders  of which 275 are A330neos from 24 customers.

Eurowings significantly expands its offering at Graz Airport

12 holiday and city destinations in the program as of Summer 2023

Graz to become new Eurowings base

Hamburg, Berlin, Düsseldorf and Stuttgart connected with high frequency

Eurowings is significantly expanding its presence at Graz Airport and will be expanding its range of attractive direct flight destinations in the summer of 2023. With the new destinations Chania (Crete) and Larnaca, as well as Hurghada, Karpathos, Corfu, Kos and Rhodes, seven destinations in the popular holiday destinations Greece, Egypt and Cyprus are on the schedule. An expansion of capacity to Mallorca is in the planning stage.

In addition to the expansion towards the south, Eurowings is increasing its range of city connections to Germany: the Lufthansa subsidiary will connect Graz, the capital of Styria in Austria, with Berlin and Hamburg in the 2023 summer flight schedule. Together with the connections to Düsseldorf and Stuttgart, travellers from Graz will then be able to choose from up to 25 weekly flights to the German city destinations. Business travellers in particular will benefit from greater flexibility on their trip.

In the course of this expansion, Eurowings will also station an aircraft at Graz Airport, making Graz  the eleventh Eurowings base and part of the growth course of the leading value carrier. The Eurowings offerings for the summer can be booked from Monday, 19 December 2022. Flights in the BASIC fare are already available from € 39.99 for a one-way flight.

"We are delighted to be offering a wide program of attractive destinations from Graz next summer, which are at the top of many holidaymakers' wish lists," explains Eurowings CEO Jens Bischof. "At the same time, we are connecting Styria more strongly than before with the most important German metropolitan areas. Holidaymakers and business travellers alike benefit from our value concept, which addresses the core needs of today's air travellers with flexibility, comfort and sustainability. Our expansion is also a strong commitment to Graz and the entire region."

"Hamburg and Berlin represent a great enhancement of our flight schedule, which will also benefit Styria as a tourism and business location," explain Wolfgang Grimus and Jürgen Löschnig, Managing Directors of Graz Airport. "The intensive economic relations between Germany and Styria form the basis for a corresponding volume of business travel to/from Berlin and Hamburg. At the same time, we expect strong impulses in city travel, both in incoming and outgoing tourism. With this broad flight programme, Eurowings will become one of our strongest partners."

Holding GrazCEO Wolfgang Malik, as the owner's representative, points to many years of experience, according to which the strategic importance of a regional airport can be increased enormously if criteria such as "central location at the hub of international transport transversals", "competition from airline alliances with international hub feeder functions" or "airline base for direct service to destinations" are fulfilled. Malik: "Our airport in Graz, as the largest regional airport in the Alps-Adriatic region, fulfils these requirements excellently with the commitment of Eurowings to establish its 11th base in Graz.

Centrally located, the stationing of an efficient and modern Airbus in Graz not only strengthens the popular connections to southern Europe, but also brings northern Germany closer to Styria, which is particularly attractive for business and tourism. Malik: "I am confident that Graz will soon return to the "highs" of the ever-popular "airport of short distances".

Eurowings destinations in the coming summer flight schedule:

Destination	Weekly freqencies	Day of operation
Berlin                         new	5x	MO, WED, THU, FR, SUN
Düsseldorf                 more frequently	8x	MO - FR
Hamburg                   new	4x	MO, THU, FR, SO
Stuttgart                    more frequently	8x	MO - FR
Chania                      new	1x	TUE
Hurghada                  new	2x	WED + SUN
Karpathos                 new	1x	TUE
Corfu                         new	1x	FR
Kos                            new	2x	MO + FR
Larnaca                     new	1x	SAT
Palma de Mallorca    more frequently	2x (3x)	THU + SUN
Rhodes                     neu	2x	THU+ SA

Canada Jetlines Selects Park’N Fly as National Airport Parking Partner

Canada Jetlines the new budget carrier in Canada has announced a partnership with Park’N Fly, the nation’s leader in off-airport parking, as their official national airport parking provider.

Travellers departing from one of Canada Jetlines’ major airport hubs within Canada, can take advantage of the host of services offered by Park’N Fly. With a network that spans coast-to-coast, travellers can enjoy the convenience and peace of mind knowing that their trip will start and end with Canada’s leading airport parking provider. Park ‘N Fly offers unique services like luggage assistance, quick shuttle service to and from the airport and in select locations optional detailing and oil change services, and more.

“Our team is excited to partner with Park’N Fly to offer passengera a stress-free, airport parking experience, with unparalleled service and amenities,” shared Duncan Bureau, CCO of Canada Jetlines. “With holiday travel in full force, we aim to create a convenient and accessible travel experience for all Canada Jetlines passengers.”

Airbus-led large-scale flight demo teams up fighters, a helicopter and drones

Airbus-led large-scale flight demo teams up fighters, a helicopter and drones

In Europe’s first large-scale multi-domain flight demo led by Airbus, two fighter jets, one helicopter and five unmanned remote carriers teamed up and accomplished a mission that could occur in real-life situations. The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) Manned-Unmanned Teaming Demonstrator project will now move to the next phase: further paving the way for FCAS by developing a flying remote carrier (RC)  demonstrator in the coming years.

 

“With the Multi-Domain Flight Demo, or MDFD, we demonstrated for the first time in Europe how manned-unmanned teaming capabilities and functionalities with up to ten connected assets work in a real-life inspired scenario and under near operational conditions,” said Jean-Brice Dumont, Head of Military Air Systems at Airbus. "This is yet another example of how we push boundaries and pioneer technologies so that our customers can fulfill their missions: saving lives and ensuring a better future for us all.”

In the demo conducted in late summer 2022, the fighter jets, helicopter and unmanned remote carriers were connected via a meshed compact airborne networking data link (CANDL) that allowed them to seamlessly interact above Rovajärvi, Finland - and help to rid the world of a fictional rogue warlord.

More international flights from WestJet......

WestJet announces new service to Japan and Europe as part of a planned expansion from YYC Calgary International Airport

New intercontinental routes between Calgary and Tokyo, Barcelona, Edinburgh, and
increased frequencies between Calgary and Dublin, London, Paris and Rome significantly
enhance options for leisure guests, business travel and cargo services    

WestJet as part of its wider growth strategy, announced its 2023 summer 787 Dreamliner routes from YYC Calgary International Airport, unveiling Tokyo, Japan, as its first destination in Asia with new service to Narita International Airport. The airline is also creating greater two-way tourism opportunities and increasing connectivity between Western Canada and Europe with new service between Calgary and Barcelona, Spain and Edinburgh, Scotland along with increased frequencies on existing European routes. Today's announcement comes as WestJet prepares for broader expansion within Canada and North America over the coming months.

Positioned perfectly to connect Western Canada to the world, WestJet's 787 flying from Calgary will see the airline take flight to eight transoceanic destinations in 2023. With 40 weekly departures strategically scheduled to maximize connecting capacity across 24 Western Canadian communities, the airline will offer more competitive options for its leisure and business guests and cargo customers as it fulfills its new strategic direction.

"This is an exciting day for the WestJet Group, our guests, and partners as we deliver on our new strategy and demonstrate our western focus as we increase our Calgary capacity by more than 25 per cent in 2023. Starting with the expansion of our intercontinental routes, future announcements will focus on domestic and North American additions that will bring even more affordable travel options to our guests in the new year," said Alexis von Hoensbroech, WestJet Group Chief Executive Officer. "With Calgary as home base to our 787 aircraft, access between western Canadian communities and these intercontinental destinations will play a vital role in creating an economically prosperous aviation pipeline that better connects Canadians to the world and the world to Western Canada."

Tokyo, Japan - Alberta's Only Non-Stop Gateway to Asia

With its expansive modern architecture, traditional roots, established ties to Alberta's tourism and business economies and connectivity to more than 50 destinations across the continent, Tokyo is a natural choice for WestJet's first destination in Asia. With three-time weekly seasonal service beginning, April 30, 2023, WestJet will be the only airline providing transpacific service to Asia direct from Alberta.