Abbotsford Secures Enhanced WestJet Connectivity After it Drops Airport Development Fee

Canada’s Abbotsford International Airport in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia has secured enhanced domestic connectivity to Edmonton, the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta, after WestJet revealed it will boost the frequency of flights on the route from two to three-times daily from June 15, 2015.

The announcement closely follows the news that Abbotsford International Airport has decided to drop its airport improvement fee by 50 per cent and eliminate fees for aircraft parking, bridge fees and bag-handling.

“The leadership demonstrated by Abbotsford International Airport sets a standard we hope others will follow. When airports and airlines are strategically aligned then the partnership benefits everyone involved. Airports that help us keep operational costs low also allow us to keep fares competitive and stimulate network and fleet growth,” said Gregg Saretsky, chief executive officer, WestJet.

“When airports and airlines are strategically aligned then the partnership benefits everyone involved. Airports that help us keep operational costs low also allow us to keep fares competitive and stimulate network and fleet growth.”

Gregg Saretsky
Chief Executive Officer, WestJet

The Edmonton – Abbotsford route, which has been served continuously since April 2006, is currently served by two daily Boeing 737s but the new third daily rotation will be flown by WestJet Encore with a smaller Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 turboprop.

“Our business is built upon growing markets or creating new ones with low fares and a great guest experience. Airports like Abbotsford recognise they will grow if we grow, and its actions today demonstrate a willingness to walk the walk,” added Saretsky.

WestJet first introduced flights from Abbotsford in June 1997 and alongside the Edmonton link has flights to its Calgary base and seasonal holiday flights to Puerto Vallarta. The carrier uses the airport as a low-cost alternative to Vancouver International Airport as well as serving the city’s Eastern suburbs.

According to MIDT data, around 140,000 bi-directional O&D passengers a year have been flying between Edmonton and Abbotsford in the past two years. The data shows that WestJet has been securing average annual yields in the high 70 per cents on the outbound flight from Abbotsford and the low 80 per cents on the return service from Edmonton.

Our analysis, below, shows how WestJet has been able to maintain a healthy yield while maintaining passenger loads on the route. Over the past five full years (2009 to 2013) average O&D fares have grown 22.6 per cent from Abbotsford and 29.1 per cent from Edmonton.

Data provided by