WestJet to Lease North American Boeing 757 for Alberta-Hawaii Flights

Canada’s WestJet is going to operate a leased Boeing 757-200 to provide non-stop service between Calgary and Honolulu and Maui, and between Edmonton and Maui, subject to Canadian government approval.

The WestJet service with the Boeing 757-200 will operate from February 12, 2011, to April 30, 2011.

“This temporary lease will allow WestJet to provide additional capacity for guests travelling from Alberta to Hawaii,” says Hugh Dunleavy, WestJet’s executive vice-president, strategy and planning. “With this leased aircraft, we’ll be able to seat 193 guests, an increase from using our own 737-700s. So, now even more guests will have access to the only daytime schedule in both directions on convenient non-stop flights to Maui and Honolulu.”

In addition to operating five Boeing 767-300ERs, charter carrier North American Airlines has four Boeing 757-200s in its fleet

WestJet is leasing the Boeing 757-200 from North American Airlines, a world-renowned charter air service provider located in Jamaica, N.Y.. North American Airlines, a subsidiary of Global Aviation Holdings Inc., has been in business since 1989, providing charter service to groups including the military, tour operators and sports teams.

North American Airlines was the charter provider for U.S. President Barack Obama’s presidential election campaign. North American Airlines is providing pilots and flight attendants to operate the aircraft as well as aircraft maintenance engineers for ongoing servicing and maintenance.

A WestJet service ambassador will be on board each 757-200 flight to ensure that the WestJet guest experience is consistently delivered to the airline’s standards and expectations.

“This announcement demonstrates our flexibility as an airline as well as our ability to maintain our competitive edge in this market,” says Dunleavy. “While the Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft is ideal for WestJet, there are select situations where a longer-range aircraft is more ideally suited. We believe that providing our guests with additional non-stop Alberta-to-Hawaii service is beneficial to our guests and our airline.”

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