WestJet announces new flights from Calgary to Tokyo, Barcelona and Edinburgh
WestJet is set to takeoff to Tokyo in the spring. The Calgary-based airline announced Monday morning its first non-stop flights to Asia and additions to its European offerings, with routes to Edinburgh and Barcelona.
The first of the flights from Calgary to Tokyo's Narita International Airport will start at the end of April. WestJet's 787 Dreamliners will fly to Japan three times a week.
"It's a remarkable moment for our company and, I think, truly for Calgary. A couple of years ago we announced our first flights to Europe and today is the day we announce our first flight to an Asian destination," said Alexis von Hoensbroech, WestJet's chief executive.
"Tokyo will be a destination that will see more passengers coming from the destination than going to the destination. So this is great for tourism in Albertan and also, hopefully, for us," he said.
The company says it is preparing for broader expansion within Canada and North America over the coming months. WestJet plans to expand its capacity from Calgary by more than 25 per cent in 2023.
"What's particularly exciting about today's announcement is that we are truly a global destination," said Travel Alberta CEO David Goldstein.
"Having direct flights from those key global markets are important for business travel, leisure travel, visiting friends and family. It's going to be a huge stimulus to rebuild the visitor economy here in Alberta," added Goldstein.
The airline also increased the frequency of flights from Calgary to London, Rome, Paris and Dublin.
With files from The Canadian Press.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.