WestJet’s recent significant order with Boeing is a move to ensure that it has an ample pipeline of aircraft for the foreseeable future.
But the more intriguing element of its latest aircraft order is the doubling of its young fleet of Boeing 787 widebodies.
The airline put a freeze on its widebody growth in 2022, and opted to base all the twin-aisle jets at its headquarters and largest base at Calgary. But even though the airline capped widebody expansion, WestJet’s twin-aisle operations have appeared to be successful during the past couple of years.
Now, with the resumption of widebody growth, the question is: how and where will WestJet deploy its new 787s?
Summary
- The 60 Boeing 737-10s ordered by WestJet are likely replacements for current generation 737 jets.
- WestJet never completely abandoned evaluations of widebody fleet expansion.
- Where does WestJet plan to deploy the new widebodies?
- Will Calgary remain the lone base for WestJet’s 787s?
- WestJet has some time to craft its future widebody strategy.
WestJet’s big aircraft order is likely partially to replace ageing current-generation narrowbodies
It’s likely a safe assumption that some of the 60 Boeing 737-10s that WestJet ordered from Boeing are pegged as replacement aircraft. CAPA – Centre for Aviation’s Fleet Database shows Canada’s second largest airline operates 36 Boeing 737-700s and 55 Boeing 737-800s.
The average age of its current-generation Boeing narrowbodies is 11.5 years, and the fleet will continue to age, as WestJet has stated that the order extends its fleet growth plans through 2034. WestJet also has 54 Boeing 737-8s in operation, and 25 of the aircraft on order, according to the CAPA – Centre for Aviation Fleet Database.
WestJet Group: average age for its fleet in-service, as of early Sep-2025 (“B” is Boeing)
Source: CAPA – Centre for Aviation Fleet Database.
Basing its 787s in Calgary appears to have paid off for WestJet
But the order for seven additional Boeing 787-10s, with options for 25 more aircraft, presumably means that WestJet sees opportunities for growth in intercontinental markets.
And the reality is that the airline never completely ruled out resuming widebody growth – as it has opted during the past three years to prioritise regaining some of its competitive advantage; focusing on costs and renewing its focus on Western Canada.
Moving the 787-9s from multiple Canadian airports from Calgary appears to be paying off.
WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech told Aviation Week Network in Jun-2024 that the airline was evaluating the performance of the aircraft during that summer period. Noting that the northern summer of 2023 was exceptional due to pent-up demand, Mr von Hoensbroech explained that WestJet was examining how the summer 2024 season would unfold.
At that time, WestJet’s CEO said that consolidating the 787s in Calgary had worked well for the airline: “…so far, we are actually pretty happy,” he added.
Now, as the 2025 northern summer season nears an end, it appears that WestJet believes it can build out an intercontinental network with additional widebodies.
Does existing 787 service by WestJet offer clues to future widebody deployment?
Although it will likely be some time before the first widebody of WestJet’s latest order is delivered, curiosity will grow regarding the company’s aircraft deployment plans.
Currently, WestJet operates its seven Boeing 787-9s from Calgary to Barcelona, Dublin, Edinburgh, Rome, London Heathrow, Paris, Tokyo and Seoul.
For the winter season in the northern hemisphere, WestJet plans year-round service to London, Paris and Tokyo. It is also operating its widebodies to Honolulu, Kahului, Cancún, Puerto Vallarta and San Jose Del Cabo. The service to San Jose is a short trip for a 787, at roughly 1,687nm.
There’s also the potential for WestJet to deploy the aircraft deeper into South America.
The Calgary Herald quoted Mr von Hoensbroech, who offered this assessment: “It’s about connecting where the demand is, and both our European flying and our Asian flying have been performing really well on the [787] Dreamliners. And there are lots of ideas that we have on those two continents, but also on other continents.”
Will Calgary still serve as the lone base for WestJet’s 787s in the future?
Perhaps a broader question is whether WestJet intends to base all the 787s in Calgary once all the deliveries are accepted.
Back in 2024 Mr von Hoensbroech said that Calgary was a midsize market that could not support a large scale widebody operation. “Is seven the right number? Could it support 10? Yeah, maybe,” he said.
Of course by 2034 Calgary’s footprint could be different, and could support a larger widebody operation.
But the resumption of widebody growth over the longer term signals that WestJet probably wants to ensure that it has twin-aisle delivery slots to leverage its position as Canada’s second largest airline – a position that isn’t likely to change for the foreseeable future.
WestJet currently represents just under a quarter of Canada’s system departing seats, and at the moment, smaller competitors have no plans to acquire widebody aircraft.
Canada: system departing seats by airline, w/c 08-Sep-2025
Source: CAPA – Centre for Aviation and OAG.
Even with its widebody fleet growing to 14 aircraft during the next decade or so, WestJet’s twin-aisle fleet will still trail Air Canada’s by a wide margin, even with some presumed retirements.
Air Canada Group: fleet summary, as of early Sep-2025
Source: CAPA – Centre for Aviation Fleet Database.
WestJet’s new investors, Delta Air Lines and Korean Air, could also factor into the airline’s plans as it contemplates new widebody markets. Earlier in 2025 those airlines agreed to take a combined 25% stake in WestJet for USD550 million.
WestJet sends a clear message with its latest widebody order
However WestJet chooses to deploy it widebodies over the next decade, it’s clear that the company believes opportunities exist to grow its twin-aisle fleet after taking a pause for the past few years.
Clearly, the airline has time to determine how to deploy the new widebodies coming onboard, but the order sends a clear message that WestJet is thinking long haul over the long term.