The airline welcomed the first international flight, WS1511, which arrived from Los Angeles, as the first eligible flight for the Alberta COVID-19 testing program trial. Eligibility includes Canadians and permanent residents staying in Calgary for a minimum of 14 days.
On Monday (November 2, 2020), WestJet announced the arrival of their first international flight (WS1511) from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Calgary International Airport (YYC), eligible to participate in the Government of Alberta’s new COVID-19 testing program. The program is designed to reduce the quarantine period in Alberta while protecting Canadians from COVID-19. Eligibility includes Canadian citizens and permanent residents who plan on remaining in the Province of Alberta for a minimum of 14 days or exempt travelers staying less than 14 days. Arriving guests can access the pilot testing program when clearing customs and after receiving a negative result, will enjoy a reduced mandatory quarantine from 14 days to as few as two days. In today’s announcement, WestJet’s Chief Commercial Officer, Arved von zur Muehlen, said,
“The start of this unique trial is a significant first step in giving peace of mind to those who need to travel and were apprehensive due to the rigorous quarantine requirements and testing restrictions. This pilot is the health and science-based approach that WestJet and our industry has been seeking. We encourage our guests to adhere to all of the health guidelines in place as part of this program.”
Calgary is the airline’s home and largest hub and WestJet is the only Canadian airline that has resumed flights to key international destinations from YYC including service to Palm Springs, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun and Cabo San Lucas. Since the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic, WestJet has implemented over 20 extra health and safety protocols for the protection of guests and WestJetters. The airline has taken a science-based approach to evaluate operational policies for the health and wellbeing of guests using the latest research from internal and third-party experts including the University of Alberta and the University of British Columbia. WestJet has served over one million guests on more than 25,000 flights since March 2020.
Prior to the Global COVID-19 pandemic, WestJet and subsidiary regional airlines, WestJet Encore and WestJet Link, offered scheduled service to over 110 destinations across North America, Central America, the Caribbean and Europe. WestJet and WestJet Encore continue to connect most the carrier’s Canadian domestic airports with reduced capacity, ensuring essential cargo and passenger connectivity. During these unprecedented times, the carrier has maintained their rating by Cirium as one of the top ten airlines for on-time performance in North America.
Source: WestJet