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WestJet plans first-ever nonstop route from Calgary to Rome

Edward Russell
Edward Russell
Contributor
Edward Russell is a contributor for TPG. An AvGeek at heart, he covered the airline business at FlightGlobal for eight years and previously covered finance in New York and Hong Kong.
Oct. 30, 2019
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2 min read
A WestJet Boeing 787.
WestJet plans first-ever nonstop route from Calgary to Rome
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WestJet will be the first airline to connect Calgary to Rome in Italy, with new service on its fleet of Boeing 787s.

The carrier will begin thrice-weekly service between Calgary (YYC) and the Italian capital of Rome (FCO) from May 2 through the peak summer season, WestJet said Wednesday. It is the first time a carrier has offered regularly scheduled nonstop service on the route.

"WestJet's continued international expansion from our home in Calgary reinforces our commitment to investing in the city as an international aviation hub," WestJet CEO Ed Sims said in a statement.

The airline will fly its new Boeing 787-9 aircraft between Calgary and Rome. The jets feature 16 lie-flat business class seats, 28 premium economy seats, and 276 economy seats.

Related: WestJet's business class on the 787-9 from London to Calgary

The new Rome flights are the latest addition to WestJet's transatlantic expansion. The carrier will launch seasonal daily service between Vancouver (YVR) and London Gatwick (LGW) on April 26.

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WestJet took delivery of its first 787 in January and began flying the aircraft on transatlantic flights in April. It had three 787s in its fleet at the end of September, and anticipates three more deliveries in 2020, the airline's latest fleet plan shows.

While WestJet expands its transatlantic offerings with the arrival of new Dreamliners, it continues to wait on U.S. approval of its pending joint venture with Delta Air Lines. The partnership would allow the carriers to essentially act as a single carrier on flights between Canada and the U.S., coordinating everything from schedules to fares, and offering an improved experience to customers flying on joint itineraries.

One expected network change under the pact would be WestJet taking over some of Delta's shorter routes to Canada currently flown by regional jets. For example, the Canadian carrier could take over flights between Calgary and Seattle (SEA), or Toronto (YYZ) and Cincinnati (CVG) with its De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 turboprops.

Related: WestJet Dash 8s Could Soon Take Over These Delta Routes to Canada

Featured image by (Photo by Nick Ellis/The Points Guy)