WestJet granted slots for direct Calgary-Dubai flights

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WestJet could begin offering direct flights from Calgary to Dubai next year, according to a new report from an international flight coordinator. But the airline says it currently has no new routes to announce.

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The Calgary-based company has been allocated flight slots at Dubai International Airport for the 31-week summer 2023 flying season starting March 27, according to a Nov. 4 report from Airport Coordination Limited.

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The report lists WestJet as a “new operator” in Dubai, with service approved to Calgary International Airport.

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The airline has been approved for 186 flight slots, giving it 59,520 passengers. That number of flights works out to three round trips weekly over the summer flying season.

In a statement, WestJet said it is constantly evaluating its network opportunities and expanding its list of destinations, but said there were no decisions to announce at this time.

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“At this time, we have no new destinations or network updates to announce,” a WestJet spokesperson said in an email to Postmedia on Sunday.

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“WestJet, like many airlines, applies worldwide for airport slots to get an understanding of slot availability. It is understandable that we do not control the slot times that then become available to us and this may or may not be optimal for our industry.”

If WestJet were to offer the Calgary-Dubai flights, they would be the company’s first routes to the Middle East, according to industry publication FlightGlobal.

In October, WestJet announced its plan to double its capacity in Calgary over the next few years, making the city its connection hub, a move aided by a $16 million provincial investment. With this plan, the company will concentrate flights of its 787 Dreamliner intercontinental flights in Calgary.

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It is part of a broader strategy by the airline to significantly grow its Western Canada network along with investments in leisure and solar flying.

WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said at the time that the investment would enable the airline to open new routes to Europe and possibly Asia.

“It’s about making Alberta the leading province for aviation in Canada, and we’re very proud to play a key role in that,” von Hoensbroech said.

At Calgary International Airport, flight volume has rebounded after taking a significant hit during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Airport officials said in September that YYC went from about 50,000 outbound daily passengers in 2019 to just 200 at the lowest points of the pandemic, but that the airport had returned to 90 percent of its pre-pandemic traffic in August.

— With files from Stephanie Babych and Chris Varcoe

jherring@postmedia.com

Twitter: @jasonfherring