DREAMLINER DAZZLES
WestJet celebrates Boeing 787
WestJet Airlines took possession of its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner on Thursday, naming the plane after the Calgary-based company’s founder and chairman, Clive Beddoe.
The airplane — the first of three that will be delivered to Calgary this winter in advance of WestJet launching international Dreamliner service to Paris, LondonGatwick, and Dublin in April — left Everett, Wash., (home of Boeing’s manufacturing facility) on Thursday morning. Before departing for Calgary, a naming ceremony was held for the plane in the presence of Beddoe and members of the WestJet executive team.
“Because of the leadership, vision and commitment of our founder and chairman, Clive, we had the opportunity to fly our Dreamliner home today,” WestJet CEO Ed Sims said in a news release. “It’s fitting the aircraft bears our founder’s name as we welcome the future of WestJet.”
The arrival of WestJet’s first Dreamliner is a major milestone for the company, which will take possession of a total of 10 787s by 2021, with an option to buy 10 more. The 320-seat Dreamliner (with a list price of $280 million) will allow WestJet to compete internationally with Air Canada (the company has suggested Asia, South America and Latin America are all within its sights) and will give the company the ability to offer lie-flat business cabin seats for the first time as well as separate premium economy and economy cabins.
“We are excited to welcome our friends at WestJet to the Dreamliner family,” said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice-president of commercial sales and marketing for Boeing. “The airline has achieved impressive growth with the Boeing 737 and will now use the 787’s unmatched performance and passenger comforts to profitably launch a new ‘global era’.”
The first plane, which has “Clive Beddoe” emblazoned on its exterior, will fly guests domestically on Toronto-Calgary routes starting Feb. 20 to assist with crew familiarization, before the first international flight from Calgary to London- Gatwick on April 28.
The international scheduled service between Calgary and LondonGatwick, Paris and Dublin will support 650 full-time jobs and $100 million in total economic output, according to WestJet, and bring up to 185,000 visitors to Calgary annually.