That will come June 5, when WestJet launches seasonal nonstop service from Nova Scotia's largest city to Manchester (MAN), England. The carrier will offer four flights a week through Oct. 24 on Boeing 737-700 aircraft.
The Manchester route gives Halifax (YHZ) another transatlantic link on WestJet, which already offers a seasonal schedule from the city to Dublin, Ireland (DUB); Glasgow, Scotland (GLA); London Gatwick (LGW) and Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG).
WestJet said the Manchester flights would be timed to allow connections to the other Canadian destinations it serves from Halifax. WestJet, Canada’s second-biggest carrier, began flying from Halifax in 2003 and now serves 16 cities from the airport.
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According to Great Circle Mapper, Halifax to Manchester is 2,750 miles, a transoceanic route that however recent models of the Boeing 737 can cover easily. Despite its origins as a short-haul plane, the 737 has morphed into an airplane capable of crossing the Atlantic (Norwegian and WestJet routinely use it for that purpose.)
"WestJet is continuing to invest in our Atlantic gateway, connecting Nova Scotia to the world and the world to Nova Scotia in new ways," Charles Duncan, WestJet's chief strategy officer, said in a statement. "The U.K. is Nova Scotia's largest in-bound tourism market and our newest investment connects the province to new sources of tourists."
The new Halifax-Manchester service will operate on the following schedule:
- Halifax to Manchester: Departs 10:45 p.m., arrives 8:10 a.m. the next day (all times local)
- Manchester to Halifax: Departs 9:45 a.m., arrives 11:52 a.m. (all times local)
More on WestJest: Promising start: A review of WestJet’s business class on the 787-9 from London to Calgary
More on WestJet: Really premium economy: A review of WestJet Premium from Toronto to London on the 787
Contributing: Alberto Riva, TPG
