page_title: WestJet
section_title: 2017-2019: Transition to full-service carrier
hierarchical_section_title: WestJet / History / 2017-2019: Transition to full-service carrier
caption_attribution_description: English: WestJet Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 at Calgary International Airport.
context_page_description: WestJet Airlines Ltd. is a Canadian airline founded in 1996. It began as a low-cost alternative to the country's competing major airlines. WestJet provided scheduled and charter air service to more than 100 destinations in Canada, the United States, Europe, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.
  WestJet is currently the second-largest Canadian air carrier, behind Air Canada, operating an average of 777 flights and carrying more than 66,130 passengers per day. In 2018, WestJet carried 25.49 million passengers, making it the ninth-largest airline in North America by passengers carried.
  WestJet is a subsidiary of Kestrel Bidco Inc. with more than 14,000 employees, and is not part of any airline alliance. It operates three variants of the Boeing 737 Next Generation family, the Boeing 737 MAX, as well as Boeing 767 and Boeing 787 aircraft, on select long-haul routes. WestJet has two direct subsidiaries, WestJet Encore which operates the Bombardier Q400, and WestJet Link, which operates the Saab 340B. The airline's headquarters is located adjacent to the Calgary International Airport.
  In 2018, WestJet had passenger revenues of CAN$4.733 billion.
context_section_description: In April 2017, WestJet announced plans to launch an ultra-low-cost carrier in late 2017. The new airline would operate using Boeing 737-800 aircraft, and compete with new entrants to the market, such as Flair Airlines.
   The launch of the new airline, named Swoop, was delayed until June 2018.
  While announcing an expansion of the senior leadership team on January 11, 2018, Gregg Saretsky reconfirmed the airline's strategic goal to become a global, full-service carrier.
  On March 8, 2018, the CEO of WestJet, Gregg Saretsky retired. He was replaced by company vice-president, Ed Sims.
  On May 8, 2018, WestJet announced that it would be adding the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner to its fleet. The first aircraft was delivered to the airline in January 2019.
  On May 10, 2018, WestJet's unionized pilots voted 91 percent in favour of strike action. The key issue in negotiations is outsourcing work to operate the new Swoop carriers. On May 25, 2018, WestJet and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) agreed to a settlement process through the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
  On May 14, 2018, WestJet announced new Premium Economy seats to replace the Plus seats, its current premium economy offering. The new seats features a wider 2-2 configuration on the Boeing 737 aircraft. Entry into service on the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft was planned for fall 2018, and the rest of the Boeing 737s would follow in 2019. However, entry into service has been delayed until winter 2018.
  On May 31, 2018, WestJet operated its first flight to mainland Europe with the inaugural flight from Halifax Stanfield International Airport to Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport.
  The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) announced its application to the Canadian Government for certification of WestJet's approximately 3,200 flight attendants on July 9, 2018. On July 31, 2018 the Government of Canada via the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) issued an interim order certifying CUPE as the accredited union for WestJet mainline flight attendants.
  On August 27, 2018, WestJet became the first Canadian airline to launch an AI-powered chatbot named Juliet. A report in 2019 stated that the AI chatbot, which functions on Facebook Messenger and Whatsapp, is solving 74% of all customer service queries.
  On October 12, 2018, WestJet announced its new branding, along with details on the arrival on the Boeing 787-9. WestJet changed its slogan from Owners Care to Love where you're going, announced a new logo (however, such logo was seen in May with the announcement of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner along with its livery), announced the Boeing 787 routes and launch dates, and an overall new brand image. Boeing 787 flights were announced to commence on April 28, 2019, with service from Calgary International Airport to London Gatwick Airport, with service to Paris and Dublin following.
  On May 13, 2019, WestJet announced it had reached an agreement to be purchased by Onex Corporation for $5 billion Canadian dollars. At the time, it had 13 Boeing 737 Max jets in suspended operation, with another 57 of the type ordered from the manufacturer. The purchase price of WestJet was slashed heavily due to the grounding of the MAX aircraft.
caption: A WestJet Boeing 737 MAX 8 in the company's new livery, July 2018
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