Calgary International Airport II - Page 433

CloudInspector · #**8641** Posted **Oct 20, 2019, 1:31 AM**

Icelandair to KEF? GEG on either encore or Link? WS converts CDG to year round?

thenoflyzone · #**8642** Posted **Oct 20, 2019, 1:40 AM**

It won’t be WS to Asia, if we are to believe Mike McNaney, vice-president, Industry, Corporate and Airport Affairs for WestJet. Unless by some miracle, capacity on TPAC is back in balance since this article was written last month.

https://www.skiesmag.com/news/discussing-the-future-of-aviation-in-canada/

My bet is on WS to BCN or FCO. Both those destinations aren’t served from YVR either, so they can have decent feed in order to fill the flights. YYC-LHR would be interesting as well.

Man, WS is betting it all on YYC if this happens. Hope for their sake this will work out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by YYCFlier

If they launched NRT you can bet AC would kill the route. I hope WS stays out of that airport.

I doubt that. YYC-NRT is a profitable route for AC. They're not dropping it.

CTrainDude · #**8643** Posted **Oct 20, 2019, 4:41 AM**

Munich?

casper · #**8644** Posted **Oct 20, 2019, 7:35 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CTrainDude

Munich?

I would expect Rome (FCO) over Munich for WestJet.

Munich is a Lufthansa hub. Lufthansa and Air Canada are part of joint venture across the Atlantic.

Rome is a hub for Alitalia. WestJet may be able to negotiate some onward connections on their network to supplement the local traffic.

YYCFlier · #**8645** Posted **Oct 20, 2019, 2:07 PM**

Icelandair won't launch KEF unless they move the seasonal flight from YEG.

WS won't move to LHR unless it gets slots and likely not until it gets a TATL venture with Virgin Atlantic, though Virgin might consider an LHR launch. That would be interesting.

BCN or FCO does make sense. CDG going year round is clearly a goal as WS is opening it early March - my guess is they will once they get a TATL venture with AF/KLM and can support winter traffic. Both KL and AF already run large widebodies to YVR and YYZ, so launching a service from those airports probably doesn't make sense.

In addition - I don't think WS will launch a lot of Europe from YVR. It will weaken YYC, which is the dominant hub for them in the West by far (opposite for AC - YVR dominant and YYC secondary and YYC feeds YVR). WS already competes with AC on CDG and DUB which both run seasonal routes out of YYC and YVR respectively. Also, with YYC getting the first lounge - it's clear the intent is to continue to invest in YYC. YVR will get the majority of the Asia routes when they launch I suspect.

So yes, more seasonal Europe from the West sounds right. And ideally routes they can feed from YVR.

YYCFlier · #**8646** Posted **Oct 20, 2019, 2:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by thenoflyzone

Man, WS is betting it all on YYC if this happens. Hope for their sake this will work out.

Over YVR, yes. They will also launch routes out of YYZ. YVR is WS's smallest hub.

Quote:

Originally Posted by thenoflyzone

I doubt that. YYC-NRT is a profitable route for AC. They're not dropping it.

It is now. But won't be if they get too much competition. We are all still speculating why they aren't announcing the change in airframe yet to a 788 or 333. Are they waiting for WS before they tell us what they are doing with this route?

Denscity · #**8647** Posted **Oct 20, 2019, 2:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by YYCFlier

Over YVR, yes. They will also launch routes out of YYZ. YVR is WS's smallest hub.

It is now. But won't be if they get too much competition. We are all still speculating why they aren't announcing the change in airframe yet to a 788 or 333. Are they waiting for WS before they tell us what they are doing with this route?

Despite this Johnny is reporting that WS is increasing YVR LGW with a 789.

YYCFlier · #**8648** Posted **Oct 20, 2019, 2:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Denscity

Despite this Johnny is reporting that WS is increasing YVR LGW with a 789.

That's not surprising. It's an existing route - is it staying seasonal or going year round? Year round would not make much sense. Seasonal on a 789, sure.

Denscity · #**8649** Posted **Oct 20, 2019, 3:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by YYCFlier

That's not surprising. It's an existing route - is it staying seasonal or going year round? Year round would not make much sense. Seasonal on a 789, sure.

Not sure on the details just repeating what he said from the YVR thread.
And ya it's not exciting at all as it is an existing route to a secondary airport on Westjet.

Denscity · #**8650** Posted **Oct 20, 2019, 3:09 PM**

"Increasing to a 789 next summer" so maybe seasonal?

MalcolmTucker · #**8651** Posted **Oct 20, 2019, 4:50 PM**

If WestJet is confident on US ongoing connections, the only west coast connections to FCO are a seasonal to San Fran, and a year round to Los Angeles, on Alitalia. BCN has low cost west coast connections to SAN Fran only.

Cage · #**8652** Posted **Oct 21, 2019, 3:29 PM**

WS to BCN would be my guess.

For Summer 2020, most of the existing 763 services are moving to the 789.

Its all ready soft announced that YVR/YYC/YYZ-LGW are going daily on the 789. YEG/YWG-LGW seasonal is being dropped.

What is unknown is the fate of YYZ-BCN. I could see YYC-BCN 2x wk complemented with YYZ-BCN 3x/wk that goes together with YYC-YYZ daily on the 763. This would likely mean 2 763s leave the fleet before summer and 2 after. I haven't put pen to bar napkin to try out if this works from a scheduling perspective.

BCN works rather than FCO because BCN won't pull traffic away from CDG and AMS the way FCO will. One point to remember is that WS will not be joining SkyTeam or entering into an alliance relationship. Instead WS will enter into bilateral relationships with DL, AF/KLM, KE, and maybe 1-2 more airlines.

YYCFlier · #**8653** Posted **Oct 21, 2019, 5:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cage

This would likely mean 2 763s leave the fleet before summer and 2 after. I haven't put pen to bar napkin to try out if this works from a scheduling perspective.

WS has no plans to retire the 763s and especially with the MAX situation, I can't see it. I think they will stick around a long while yet. However, WS will have 3 new 789 frames for use by Summer. Assuming one frame to YVR for LGW, one frame to YYZ for LGW, and one frame shared between YYC/YYZ for BCN, that's all of them (assuming CDG and DUB return which they are), but leaves the 4 763 open especially if the seasonal YEG and YWG are gone.

Bokimon · #**8654** Posted **Oct 22, 2019, 5:57 AM**

I would wager a BCN as well. a route that complements the YYZ run seem to make alot of sense.
Other former YYC-Europe routes in the past included GLA, MAN, MUC, HAM even and where else? DUS..But it is doubtful any of those would be picked.
How about central europe like WAW? There are no west coast routes to Poland except LAX, can WS somehow funnel enough travellers thru YYC to link up to that emerging market of a country?
I was there last summer and it was booming with construction everywhere with buildings and infrastructure, something good must be brewing over there as the new place to be for doing business.

Otherwise a hail mary pass would be WS to South America somewhere like UIO/LIM summer seasonal 3x/wk haha. Maybe they can code share with LATAM, I will need it next spring..

hollywoodcory · #**8655** Posted **Oct 22, 2019, 12:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Denscity

"Increasing to a 789 next summer" so maybe seasonal?

Got a promotion email this morning from WS that said it was still seasonal. Also mentioned more flights to CDG, but didn’t see that reflected in the schedule last I checked.

Sounds like the Summer 787 schedule will be released today, perhaps.

hollywoodcory · #**8656** Posted **Oct 22, 2019, 2:02 PM**

WS updated its 787 schedule again,

LGW 6x Weekly from beginning of April, daily from April 14
CDG Increases to 6x Weekly from June 2
DUB Resumes May 3 3x Weekly

No new routes, yet. YYZ-BCN is still a 767.

Edit: This isn’t loaded yet, but appears here:
https://www.westjet.com/en-ca/travel-info/flight-schedules/new

YYCFlier · #**8657** Posted **Oct 22, 2019, 3:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hollywoodcory

WS updated its 787 schedule again,

LGW 6x Weekly from beginning of April, daily from April 14
CDG Increases to 6x Weekly from June 2
DUB Resumes May 3 3x Weekly

No new routes, yet. YYZ-BCN is still a 767.

Hmmm - 3 frames for YYC on LGW, CDG and DUB. One frame for YYZ and for YVR on LGW. Still one route possible here, maybe 4x weekly from YYC. Last frame unsure if they will use for domestic transcons and spare or if the turns make that a full utilization or not.

YYZ-BCN on 763s and no seasonal service on YEG and YWG means we still have some 763s with nothing to do yet.

hollywoodcory · #**8658** Posted **Oct 22, 2019, 4:45 PM**

Looks like WS either jumped the gun too soon or was posted by mistake. The press release does not feature any changes to CDG or DUB. Unless there will be a separate YYC announcement.

YYCFlier · #**8659** Posted **Oct 22, 2019, 4:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hollywoodcory

Looks like WS either jumped the gun too soon or was posted by mistake. The press release does not feature any changes to CDG or DUB. Unless there will be a separate YYC announcement.

There's now a second news release posted. CDG remaining 4x weekly though.

YYCspotter · #**8660** Posted **Oct 22, 2019, 4:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hollywoodcory

Looks like WS either jumped the gun too soon or was posted by mistake. The press release does not feature any changes to CDG or DUB. Unless there will be a separate YYC announcement.

Something must be coming. Even including the trancon 787 on YYC-YYZ, there is still a full frame missing from the summer schedule. It could very well be that WS is about to announce an increase on YYC-CDG to 6x weekly (up from 4x weekly) and a new 4-5x weekly route, or something along those lines.

Edit: that being said it doesn't make much sense that they announced YYC-CDG as 4x weekly in the press release if they were planning on going to 6x weekly.