Canada’s WestJet Extends Calgary-Tokyo Narita 787 Route To Year-Round

westjet 787
Credit: Rob Finlayson

Canada’s WestJet will make its summer seasonal route between Calgary International Airport (YYC) and Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT) into a year-round service, part of a winter schedule that includes increased flights to Cancun International Airport (CUN), Mexico.

The carrier, Canada’s second-largest, unveiled its plans for Boeing 787 flying for the 2024-25 northern hemisphere winter season. The year-round commitment to the YYC-NRT route comes just days before WestJet launches its second Asia-Pacific route with flights between its YYC base and Seoul Incheon Airport (ICN) from May 17.

WestJet’s YYC-NRT service is set to be operated daily this summer, up from 3X-weekly last summer season, when the airline flew the route for the first time. Frequencies will revert back to 3X-weekly from Oct. 27.

Passengers will be able to connect to seven destinations beyond Tokyo via WestJet's codeshare agreement with Japan Airlines, the Canadian carrier said. “Building on the existing summer seasonal service, WestJet is investing in year-round service between Calgary and Tokyo,” the airline said in a statement. “The service enhancement is a strategic milestone for the airline.”

WestJet CCO John Weatherill said the airline will fly more than 60,000 seats between Calgary and Asia in the 2024-25 winter season. He noted the YYC-NRT route “has proven to be an exceptional conduit for transpacific leisure and business travelers connecting to Calgary.”

Additionally, WestJet will operate daily 787 service between YYC and both London Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airports from Oct. 27. WestJet said there is “unprecedented demand for business and leisure travel between Western Canada and Europe.” The airline’s passengers will have access to 53 European destinations beyond CDG via WestJet’s codeshare accord with Air France.

The airline will also fly 13X-weekly between YYC and CUN using a 787 from Oct. 28, up from 7X-weekly in the 2023-24 winter. The carrier will fly daily service between Toronto Pearson International Airport and CUN from Oct. 28. The airline will offer daily service to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, from Nov. 11. Flights between YYC and Honolulu will be operated 3X-weekly from Nov. 16.

"Our 787 winter schedule reflects the growing demand for year-round international options for business and leisure travelers from our global hub in Calgary to Asia, Europe and North America," Weatherill  said. "We will continue to strategically position our [787s] to provide the best global access between Western Canada and the world."

Aaron Karp

Aaron Karp is a Contributing Editor to the Aviation Week Network.