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Way Ahead Westjet,
by Robert Bailey
A Boeing
737-700 of Alberta-based WestJet, above the beautiful city of Calgary.
Westjet began service in 1996 with 220 employees,
utilizing a fleet of three used Boeing 737-200 aircraft. Initially, service
between Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Kelowna and Vancouver was offered.
Within months, several new routes were added, and WestJet has been growing
at a steady pace ever since.
Now serving virtually every major city in Canada,
the Calgary based airline has also launched many scheduled flights to the
U.S., using state of the art Boeing 737-700 aircraft, incorporating winglet
technology to decrease fuel costs. With all of its 737-200 aircraft due to
be phased out by the year 2008, its fleet will become the youngest in North
America.
Conceived as a low-cost discount carrier, WestJet
has proved it could create a market which did not previously exist,
challenging bloated fares demanded by other domestic airlines of the time.
Now well known for its friendly service, outstanding on-time performance and
unsurpassed reliability, WestJet is sure to rise to the top and become one
of the most successful and respected airlines in the world.
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