WestJet Opens Two New Destinations, Targets Oil-Rich Areas Amid Falling Prices

Canadian air carrier WestJet Airlines Ltd. announced on Monday it is opening two new destinations. These are the Gander, Newfoundland to Toronto and Halifax routes, as well as the Calgary and Houston, Texas route. They will be made available on May 3, July 15 and Sept 8, respectively.

Despite the drop of oil prices in the global market, WestJet said in a statement it decided to reintroduce the service to Gander because of a perceived offshore oil boom in Newfoundland as well as increased demand for connections between the province and Alberta’s oilpatch.

David Tyerman, analyst from Canaccord Genuity Corp., could only wish the airline firm luck. Tyerman believed no matter how oil-rich an area can be, with the gloom these days in the sector, there will be a direct impact to travel among those routes. “It’s hard to believe there wouldn’t be some impact from lower oil prices,” he told Financial Post.

Bob Cummings, WestJet’s executive vice-president of sales, marketing and guest experience, remained firm on the airline’s decision. He said the Houston and Gander routes will enable WestJet to connect “more people, more often,” thereby helping it gain access to established and emerging energy markets. We are an airline experiencing a very exciting evolution that will bring the strength of our low-cost, people-driven guest experience into more markets."

Houston is a big player in the global energy sector, making it a natural choice for new, non-stop jet service from Calgary. Gander, WestJet’s third current destination in the province, is set to benefit from the growth of Newfoundland's offshore oil boom and the established business-traveller market between Alberta and the "Rock.”

The Toronto-Gander and Calgary-Houston routes will operate using the larger 737s. Moreover, Gander’s inclusion to WestJet’s list of destinations mean the airline’s Encore service will now operate coast-to-coast.

Details of WestJet's new routes in summer 2015:

Details of WestJet's European service in summer 2015:

Two-day low introductory fares starting at:

*Book by January 20, 2015, on select days. Some restrictions apply. Please see westjet.com/newdestinations for details.

Low introductory fares to Europe starting at:

*Some restrictions apply. Please see westjet.com for full details.

Low introductory fares to Houston starting at:

*Book by January 26, 2015, on select days from September 8, 2015, until December 11.2015. Some restrictions apply. Please see westjet.com/newdestinations for details.