WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech outlines long-term growth plan and vision for Alberta's capital city
First annual chamber event showcases airline's commitment to the community
EDMONTON, AB, April 24, 2024 /CNW/ - WestJet today provided a comprehensive update on the progress it is making against its targeted growth strategy for Edmonton. Alexis von Hoensbroech, WestJet Group Chief Executive Officer, outlined the airline's strategy and commitments for 2024 and beyond in collaboration with key partners at his first annual address to business and community leaders at the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce.
"As the capital city of our home province, we are unwaveringly committed to maintaining and growing our title as Edmonton's leading air carrier, as exhibited by our growing network and track record of fueling Edmonton's economic pipeline through inbound tourism and investment attraction," said von Hoensbroech to a sold-out business audience at the Glenora Club. "The Edmonton community is at the heart of our ambitious growth strategy as we strive to further cement the city's well-deserved position on the global stage, making it one of the most connected cities of its size in North America."
In his remarks, von Hoensbroech summarized WestJet's leading investments in Edmonton and provided an update on the airline's progress in bolstering Edmonton's transborder connectivity and expanding its domestic network.
Economic growth through transborder connectivity
WestJet has been working closely with key partners to inject flights that the business community relies upon to further build the local economy and advance the airline's growth plan. Through collaboration and strategic network planning, WestJet has answered the call for an expanded transborder network, with the following achievements:
-As Alberta's largest and most important bilateral trade partner, WestJet has fulfilled the critical demand for transborder connectivity providing service to three brand new destinations including Atlanta, San Francisco and Nashville in 2023, alongside nine additional U.S. cities.
-Through community engagement and partnership, WestJet has developed a transborder network that provides essential connectivity to the region for business, conventions and major sporting events.
-Through travel and trade missions to Minneapolis and Atlanta, WestJet is facilitating connections amongst partners, generating greater two-way tourism opportunities in service of the local economies.
Investments for Edmonton at the forefront of WestJet's Western strategy
-Apart from Calgary, Edmonton is the most connected city in WestJet's network and continues to grow.
-WestJet has increased its capacity growth in Edmonton this summer by 13 per cent since 2022 and has aggressive growth plans to build upon this momentum.
-Providing 50 per cent of all air travel from Edmonton International Airport, WestJet is proud to stand as the number one carrier in the region.
-This year, WestJet will provide direct connectivity to 40 unique destinations including 20 domestic, 12 transborder and eight sun destinations.
-Since opening a WestJet base in Edmonton, employment has more than doubled compared to 2019, providing a direct and indirect impact on the local economy.
Record-setting summer for domestic connectivity
Building on momentum, WestJet is focused on the future and growing its domestic investments in Edmonton, through the following initiatives:
-Fulfilling long-standing requests of Edmonton's business community, WestJet recently announced year-round, non-stop services between Edmonton and Ottawa and Montreal, featuring well-timed and frequent flights.
-This summer, WestJet will serve four direct routes between Edmonton and Atlantic Canada, providing the most coast-to-coast connectivity in history, for the region.
Interesting timing, as it came less than a week from my post about the statistics behind WS's "focus cities/secondary bases". I know this was not a proper news release, it was a presentation to the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, there was no route announcement or frequency changes (those had already happened in separate earlier new releases). Both airlines and airport authorities give presentations to Chambers of Commerce, Boards of Trade, various business associations, it happens for all major airports and airlines. The presentations are usually very rah-rah boostering, very glowing and laying on the charm real thick to maintain a good relationship (airlines and airports want to be seen as strong allies to business concerns, really delivering strong statistics that win people over and make them feel important. This release is heavy on that, it's a sales pitch and meant to be decidedly cocky. I've noted one interesting point in the sea of sugar-sweet compliments:
-Apart from Calgary, Edmonton is the most connected city in WestJet's network and continues to grow.
I am not sure what metric they are using for this claim, there is certainly a strong case for YEG being WS's 2nd most important base, but technically the facts don't present a definitive endorsement of it being second most connected. That term itself is so subjective, it could potentially mean different things. For example:
# of destinations
YEG - 39 destinations (33 mainline destinations, 6 Encore destinations, and 0 Link, includes year-round and seasonal) **destinations served by mainline and Encore are only counted once)
YVR - 39 destinations (30 mainline destinations, 5 Encore destinations, and 4 Link, includes year-round and seasonal) **destinations served by mainline and Encore are only counted once
YYZ - 48 destinations (all mainline, includes year-round and seasonal)
So YYZ is clearly the 2nd most 'connected' in terms of # of destinations. That total includes a ton of Carribean/Mexico/South, so many individual destinations. But often low frequencies, some even once weekly. So this is where the subjectivity comes in. Does having the most destinations served non-stop define it? Obviously not on its own, unless WS flat out lied to Edmonton and made that claim despite YYZ really being the winner
Or is connectivity judged by # of flights overall? By that metric this summer, YVR has ~490 weekly flights vs. 347 for YEG and 348 for YYZ (using week of August 12th-August 18th). Just comparing YVR and YEG, YEG absolutely has better connectivity to the Maritimes hands down, and even got back year round to YUL and YOW. YVR is stronger for transborder destinations and total number of flights, same for Mexcico/South (# of destinations are virtually the same, but YVR has more frequency). YYZ is strong for sun and US south, but underwhelming domestically.
By available seats, YVR is approx. 30% higher than YEG and 20% above YYZ summer 2024.
So each airport is pretty even in terms of "connectivity", different metrics present a slightly different picture. The numbers don't put YEG in clear second place to YYC though, so it's an interesting comment to make. Maybe it was said as a fluff piece to make businessman feel good, but it was presented as statement of fact.
At the end of the day, WS is YYC, and presentations or claims made to the secondary airports are just for good PR and advertising. It wouldn't be smart to go to Edmonton or Vancouver gatherings and say "we appreciate you and appreciate your business, but ultimately our goal is to build YYC as a singular global hub, and we will route you through there every chance we get. You will get decent service and attention, but the real focus is Calgary and not you". Unless they want to get killed, they won't mention YYC and their true aim to an Edmonton audience lol, understandable!
I should be a troll and go to their next presentation to a Vancouver organization (Chamber of Commerce, BOT, etc.) and say
"you recently told YEG they were second most connected, but our data shows that isn't necesarily true. Is YEG more important to you than YVR?!?!" LOL I could never, that's such troll behaviour, but would be funny to see if he claimed YVR is second most important when he's here haha!
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