WestJet to boost Quebec services

Canadian low-cost carrier WestJet will go head-to-head with Air Canada in Quebec when it rolls out capacity increases in the eastern Canadian province this year.

The Calgary-based carrier plans to significantly boost its Quebec flights by adding new domestic and transborder routes, as well as adding frequencies on existing routes. WestJet’s regional subsidiary Encore will start three new routes from the province over the next few months with its Bombardier Q400 turboprops.

The airline will start twice-daily service between Montreal and Halifax, Nova Scotia on March 15. Both Air Canada and Porter Airlines serve that route, schedules show.

WestJet Encore will start flying 4X-daily between Montreal and Quebec City on June 15. It will compete with Air Canada and Quebec-based regional carrier Pascan Aviation.

WestJet Encore is also launching new Montreal-Boston service on Oct. 15, a route which Air Canada currently serves nonstop. WestJet Encore will offer two flights per day on the route.

WestJet is also increasing frequencies on its mainline Boeing 737 flights from Montreal. It will double service from that city to Vancouver this year, offering 12 flights per week. The airline will also increase its Montreal-Calgary service from 14 to 19 weekly flights. WestJet will also step up Encore’s Quebec City-Toronto flights from two to three per day.

WestJet said this represents an addition of 105 weekly flights in the province of Quebec, or 74% more capacity. It plans to offer 195 departures per week from Montreal in October, and 50 from Quebec City.

Introductory fares for the new routes are just below C$100 ($76.48) each way, while the Montreal-Quebec City flights start at C$87.

WestJet Encore started flights in June 2013 to two cities in British Columbia. It started East Coast flights one year later by establishing a base at Toronto Pearson International Airport.

(Kristin Majcher - Aviation Daily / ATWOnline News)