1996-2016: Westjet Has Been Around For 20 Years

SpaceshipDC10 · Sun Feb 07, 2016 11:24 pm

Although WS made its first flight only on February 29th, 1996, it opened for business February 5th. Time flies, indeed!

http://calgary.ctvnews.ca/westjet-celebrates-20-years-1.2767024

https://www.westjet.com/guest/en/about/our-story.shtml

It all began with these two already well used 732s...

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Photo © Frank Robitaille

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Photo © Curtis Kreklau

http://www.planespotters.net/airframe/Boeing/737/20670/C-GWJG-WestJet

http://www.planespotters.net/airframe/Boeing/737/20588/C-GWJE-WestJet

...quickly followed by this third one, a convertible, all three having started their careers at Pacific Western about a quarter century earlier.

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Photo © Edge to Edge Photography
http://www.planespotters.net/airframe/Boeing/737/19743/C-GWJK-WestJet

Today WestJet operates more than 100 aircraft, and for its 20th year in business, it will start a new chapter with widebody flights across the Atlantic. Who would have thought about that last century?

Beatyair · Sun Feb 07, 2016 11:38 pm

I was good timing on when they started. I love they tested there there business case with 737-200, saw that there plan was working and migrated into buying 737-700's, then -600's and 800's. They are doing the exact same thing with there 767's. Which if this works for them will migrate into 787-8's.

Twenty years went fast and they are a good airline, better in the years, but a good airline. All the best in the next twenty.

SpaceshipDC10 · Mon Feb 08, 2016 11:34 am

Quoting Beatyair (Reply 1):
migrated into buying 737-700's, then -600's and 800's.

First -700 arrived May 25, 2001; -800 April 08, 2005 and -600 August 08, 2005. In 2006 they retired their last -200 with a flyby: http://youtu.be/y7vWZCDJ8O8

Viscount724 · Mon Feb 08, 2016 7:54 pm

Quoting SpaceshipDC10 (Thread starter):
...quickly followed by this third one, a convertible, all three having started their careers at Pacific Western about a quarter century earlier.

Among 4 or 5 other operators after PWA.

SpaceshipDC10 · Mon Feb 08, 2016 8:02 pm

Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 3):
Among 4 or 5 other operators after PWA.

Including two other Canadian airlines, one short-lived.

Whiteguy · Mon Feb 08, 2016 8:21 pm

Quoting SpaceshipDC10 (Reply 2):

Quoting Beatyair (Reply 1):
migrated into buying 737-700's, then -600's and 800's.

First -700 arrived May 25, 2001; -800 April 08, 2005 and -600 August 08, 2005. In 2006 they retired their last -200 with a flyby: http://youtu.be/y7vWZCDJ8O8

As a side note they also operated a couple B738s in 2002 for about 6 months. Both leased from Delta.

Viscount724 · Mon Feb 08, 2016 8:24 pm

Quoting SpaceshipDC10 (Reply 4):
Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 3):
Among 4 or 5 other operators after PWA.

Including two other Canadian airlines, one short-lived.

The two 732s in the opening post also spent about 5 years in the 1980s leased by PWA to Pan Am, among around 16 used 732s leased by Pan Am to operate many of their tag-on 5th freedom sectors and Internal German Services to/from Berlin, at lower cost than the previous 727s. A few 727s stayed in Europe for a few of the longer sectors.

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Photo © Richard Vandervord

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Photo © Johan Ljungdahl

About half of the 16 or so 732s operated by Pan Am during those years were leased from Canadian carriers, including 4 from Pacific Western, 3 from Quebecair and 1 from Nordair.

[Edited 2016-02-08 12:25:21]

[Edited 2016-02-08 12:26:10]

Steelhead · Mon Feb 08, 2016 8:58 pm

Here is one of the 2 leased Delta B-737-800's:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/steelhe...010/9660666615/in/photolist-fHFrBv

jimbo737 · Tue Feb 09, 2016 2:46 am

And people forget about the Spirit machines that were on hot standby, based in Calgary, the summer of '98.

There's an interesting story.....

c172akula · Tue Feb 09, 2016 10:25 pm

Quoting jimbo737 (Reply 8):
And people forget about the Spirit machines that were on hot standby, based in Calgary, the summer of '98.

There's an interesting story.....

Never knew about this, please elaborate, I'd love to hear it.

theSFOspotter · Wed Feb 10, 2016 3:57 am

Congrats to Westjet! Such an amazing airline, they just need to do SFO-YYC/YVR year round

ACDC8 · Wed Feb 10, 2016 4:10 am

Congrats to WestJet!

20 Years - that means its time to update your livery - please

SpaceshipDC10 · Wed Feb 10, 2016 11:50 am

Quoting ACDC8 (Reply 11):
that means its time to update your livery - please

They have,

and it's fine like that.

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c172akula · Wed Feb 10, 2016 2:13 pm

I had really hoped that with the introduction of the 763's and a livery tweak we would have gotten a cheat line in there.

Oh well...

SpaceshipDC10 · Wed Feb 10, 2016 8:06 pm

Quoting c172akula (Reply 13):
I had really hoped that with the introduction of the 763's and a livery tweak we would have gotten a cheat line in there.

Since WS is inspired on the Southwest model, how many years did it took the latter to introduce the canyon blue livery? 30? They had a more '70s livery then than WS's one is out of fashion now.

I wonder if the cheatline will ever make a return. If so when?

ACDC8 · Wed Feb 10, 2016 8:51 pm

Quoting SpaceshipDC10 (Reply 12):
They have, and it's fine like that.

LOL - nah, needs more than the addition of a tiny Maple Leaf

Quoting c172akula (Reply 13):

I had really hoped that with the introduction of the 763's and a livery tweak we would have gotten a cheat line in there.

I was hoping for maybe an extended widget on the tail, going down around the back of the fuselage and a larger font for the titles taking up more of the fuselage - more of a billboard style.

Quoting SpaceshipDC10 (Reply 14):
Since WS is inspired on the Southwest model, how many years did it took the latter to introduce the canyon blue livery? 30? They had a more '70s livery then than WS's one is out of fashion now.

Southwest's old livery at least had style

And for arguments sake, WS has long departed WN's inspired model.

SpaceshipDC10 · Thu Feb 11, 2016 4:40 pm

Quoting ACDC8 (Reply 15):
I was hoping for maybe an extended widget on the tail, going down around the back of the fuselage

Could be interesting to look at.

Quoting ACDC8 (Reply 15):
and a larger font for the titles taking up more of the fuselage - more of a billboard style.

That could be doable with a larger font without having the window-line cut across the title. The J could be located at a blank space, at least on the 767.

Quoting ACDC8 (Reply 15):
Southwest's old livery at least had style

Back then, probably...

Quoting ACDC8 (Reply 15):
WS has long departed WN's inspired model.

They are still growing rather cautiously.

1996-2016: Westjet Has Been Around For 20 Years

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