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WestJet Announces a Record Order of 67 Boeing Aircraft to Support its Growth

WestJet Announces a Record Order of 67 Boeing Aircraft to Support its Growth
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WestJet, Canada’s second-largest airline, has just announced a massive order for 67 new Boeing aircraft. With this acquisition, the carrier claims to have the largest order book of any Canadian airline. This major expansion is part of a long-term growth strategy that also includes initiatives such as the recent launch of a business credit card.

Let’s examine this aircraft order in detail, which marks a significant turning point in WestJet’s evolution.

WestJet Orders 67 New Boeing Aircraft (737 and 787)

WestJet has revealed that it is purchasing 67 new Boeing aircraft, with options for 29 additional planes:

  • 60 Boeing 737 MAX 10s, with options for 25 additional aircraft
  • 7 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, with options for 4 additional aircraft
WestJet et Petro-Canada : nouveau partenariat de fidélité (2027)

With this order, WestJet’s firm order book now stands at 123 aircraft. This order was placed in June 2025, but has only now been disclosed.

To put WestJet’s overall fleet in context, the company currently operates approximately 193 aircraft (including 147 Boeing 737s, 7 Boeing 787s, and 39 DeHavilland Q400s):

  • WestJet already has 7 Boeing 787-9s in its fleet, so with 7 more on order, this fleet will double
  • WestJet had previously ordered 42 Boeing 737 MAX 10s, now bringing this order to 102 aircraft; WestJet is expected to be the launch customer for this aircraft once it is certified
  • The rest of WestJet’s fleet consists of Boeing 737-700s, 737-800s, and 737 MAX 8s, and the company has 15 more 737 MAX 8s on order

This latest order extends WestJet’s fleet growth plans until 2034, suggesting that some of these aircraft will not be delivered until the 2030s.


With the addition of these aircraft, WestJet holds the largest order book of any airline in Canada and will double our Dreamliner fleet, supporting our growth plans and our commitment to offering affordable travel options to Canadians from coast to coast, as well as exciting career paths for our staff. These highly efficient and comfortable aircraft are essential for our fleet’s growth and renewal and will also significantly improve our fuel consumption.

– Alexis von Hoensbroech, WestJet CEO

A Fascinating Evolution for WestJet in the Coming Years

The Canadian aviation market presents unique challenges. On one hand, it benefits from advantages such as lower costs than in the United States, purely from a monetary perspective. Its geographical position is also ideal for sixth-freedom flights, such as transporting passengers from the United States to Europe via Canada.

On the other hand, aviation in Canada faces countless challenges. Airport fees are high, the country is vast, and the population is relatively small, which limits the number of markets that can support significant capacity.

WestJet is led by competent individuals, although we do not know all the details of its finances as it is not publicly traded. We recently learned that Delta and Korean Air are investing in WestJet, which will open up interesting new flight opportunities.

Doubling the Dreamliner fleet makes perfect sense, as seven aircraft seem like a very limited fleet, with possibilities for expansion. WestJet has opportunities across both the Atlantic and the Pacific.

What’s particularly interesting is WestJet’s full commitment to the Boeing 737 MAX 10. Assuming the aircraft is certified, it will offer incredibly low unit costs, being a very efficient aircraft.

westjet 737 max 10

The challenge, as many airlines have found over the years, is actually filling larger capacity aircraft. Airline executives are always enthusiastic when they see planes with good unit costs, but if you can only fill 60% of the seats, those better unit costs lose their appeal.

For example, currently, a good portion of WestJet’s fleet consists of 737-700s with 132 seats, which will likely be phased out. Meanwhile, the 737 MAX 10s will have 212 seats.

It will therefore be interesting to see what WestJet does with these aircraft, especially in winter. To be clear, I’m not suggesting WestJet is making a bad decision; I think it’s wise to opt for aircraft with low unit costs. But the company is planning a fairly significant transformation of its fleet in the coming years, in terms of average capacity per aircraft.

WestJet’s strategy contrasts sharply with that of Southwest in the United States, which focuses on the 737 MAX 7 and 737 MAX 8, and doesn’t even have any 737 MAX 9s or 737 MAX 10s on order.

Launch of the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard for Business

Alongside this fleet expansion, WestJet also announced on August 14 the launch of the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard for Business‡, Canada’s first and only business credit card that instantly offers primary cardholders elite status with an airline.

This new card immediately grants WestJet Rewards Silver status to primary cardholders, offering them the fastest way to earn WestJet points and maximize their travel rewards. Cardholders also benefit from a comprehensive range of travel insurance, including trip cancellation and interruption insurance.

This initiative is a continuation of the changes made to the WestJet Rewards loyalty program in April 2025, which saw the conversion of WestJet dollars into WestJet points and the introduction of new ways to use these points to cover the entire cost of flights, including taxes and fees.

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The WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard for Business‡ is an excellent card for entrepreneurs and small business owners who want to earn WestJet points on their business spending and reduce the cost of their travel.

From August 25 to November 30, 2026, the card comes with its richest welcome offer to date: up to 100,000 WestJet points, worth up to $1,000 in travel value. The bonus is awarded in four steps: 45,000 points as a welcome bonus, 20,000 points when you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months, 25,000 points when you spend $15,000 in the first 6 months, and 10,000 points on your account’s first anniversary.

WestJet points can be used to reduce the cost of WestJet flights or WestJet Vacations packages, which can represent up to $1,000 in savings.

The card also offers a favourable earn rate in certain business spending categories, including 3 WestJet points per dollar on telecommunications services, electronic devices and shipping services, as well as 1.5 WestJet points per dollar on all other purchases.

Cardholders also enjoy several benefits when travelling with WestJet, including WestJet Silver status from approval in the first year, priority check-in and boarding, lounge passes, and two free checked bags for the cardholder and up to eight additional guests travelling on the same reservation.

With its highest welcome bonus to date and its travel benefits, the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard for Business is an attractive option for entrepreneurs who want to earn WestJet points and reduce their travel expenses.

Looking for the personal version? See the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard‡.

Annual fee

Primary card$175
Additional card$75

Annual income required

Individual$80,000
Household$150,000

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 3xTelecom
  • 1.5xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,293
2nd Year Value$239

Card benefits

Wi-Fi accessIncluded

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Included
Travel medical (55-64)Included
Travel medical (65+)Included
Trip CancellationUp to $1,500
Trip InterruptionIncluded
Delayed BaggageIncluded
Lost BaggageIncluded
Flight DelayIncluded
Hotel BurglaryIncluded
Travel AccidentIncluded

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended WarrantyIncluded
Mobile DeviceIncluded
Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days
Classe Affaires WestJet : Tout ce que vous devez savoir

Reminder of Changes to the WestJet Rewards Program

It’s worth noting that WestJet carried out a major overhaul of its loyalty program in April 2025, with two main changes:

  • The conversion of WestJet dollars to WestJet points (1:100 ratio)
  • The ability to use points to cover the entire cost of a flight or vacation package, including taxes and fees

This transformation has also made it easier to access higher tiers of the program, with easier-to-reach thresholds, especially for holders of the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard, who now earn $200 in recognized tier spending for every $5,000 in purchases.

The limit of 3 Accelerators per calendar year has been replaced by a new maximum of 50 Accelerators annually, allowing even Platinum status to be reached without necessarily traveling frequently with WestJet.

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Conclusion

WestJet has just unveiled an ambitious fleet expansion plan, with firm orders for 67 additional aircraft, including 60 Boeing 737 MAX 10s and 7 Boeing 787-9s. In total, the company now has firm orders for 123 aircraft. This expansion is accompanied by complementary initiatives such as the launch of a business credit card and the recent overhaul of its loyalty program.

It will be fascinating to observe WestJet’s expansion and, in particular, its ability to fill these larger-capacity Boeing 737 MAX 10s, especially within the context of the unique challenges of the Canadian market.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will the new aircraft ordered by WestJet be delivered?

Deliveries of the new aircraft will extend until 2034, with the first planes expected to be delivered in the coming years. WestJet has not specified the exact delivery dates.

How many seats will the new Boeing 737 MAX 10s have?

The Boeing 737 MAX 10s ordered by WestJet are expected to have 212 seats, which represents a significant increase compared to the 132 seats of the Boeing 737-700s currently in the fleet.

What are the benefits of the new WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard for Business?

The card offers immediate WestJet Rewards Silver status, six airport lounge passes, four advance seat selection vouchers, the first checked bag free for the cardholder and up to eight guests, and extensive travel insurance. Cardholders earn up to six points per dollar spent on WestJet flights and WestJet Vacations packages.

How were WestJet dollars converted to WestJet points?

During the program overhaul in April 2025, WestJet dollars were converted to WestJet points at a 1 to 100 ratio. For example, 100 WestJet dollars became 10,000 WestJet points, thus retaining the same value.

Will WestJet be the first customer to operate the Boeing 737 MAX 10?

According to current information, WestJet is expected to be the launch customer for the Boeing 737 MAX 10 once this aircraft is certified by civil aviation authorities.

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Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$700Total$700Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
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Ends Nov 4, 2026
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on RBC's website

With the WestJet RBC® World Elite Mastercard, you can earn up to 70,000 WestJet points as a welcome bonus:

  • 30,000 WestJet points as a welcome bonus with your first purchase
  • 30,000 WestJet points when you charge at least $5,000 in eligible purchases to your card within the first three months
  • 10,000 additional WestJet points after your credit card account’s first anniversary

The offer ends on November 4, 2026.

The benefits in numbers

An annual companion voucher from $119
Charge at least $5,000 in purchases to your card each year and you receive a World Elite Companion Voucher for a round-trip flight, starting at a $119 base fare, plus taxes, fees, surcharges and other air transportation charges. You can exchange it instead for a 30% flight discount for one traveller, a $200 credit towards a WestJet Vacations or Sunwing Vacations package, or airport lounge passes. The exact number of lounge passes granted is to be verified against the RBC terms in force.

A free first checked bag for up to nine people
The first checked bag is free for the primary cardholder and up to 8 guests on the same reservation, on WestJet flights. For a family of four, that is four bags on every leg.

Status Lift: $200 in tier qualifying spend per $5,000
Your everyday purchases move you towards Silver, Gold and even Platinum status. You earn $200 in tier qualifying spend for every $5,000 in purchases charged to the card, up to 50 times per year.

Up to 2 WestJet points per dollar

  • 2 points per dollar on WestJet flights, WestJet Vacations and Sunwing Vacations packages
  • 2 points per dollar at grocery stores and on transportation, including gas, EV charging, public transit and rideshare
  • 1.5 points per dollar on all other everyday purchases

The annual fee is $139, plus $59 per additional card.

Finally, you benefit from extensive insurance coverage: out-of-province or out-of-country emergency medical insurance, travel accident insurance, trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance, flight delay and delayed baggage insurance, hotel or motel burglary insurance, rental vehicle collision and damage insurance.

Annual fee

Primary card$139
Additional card$59

Annual income required

Individual$80,000
Household$150,000

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 2xGroceries
  • 2xGas & EV
  • 2xTransit
  • 2xWith the partner brand
  • 1.5xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,098
2nd Year Value$263

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Included
Travel medical (55-64)Included
Travel medical (65+)Included
Trip CancellationUp to $1,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $5,000
Delayed BaggageUp to $500
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $2,500
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Mobile DeviceIncluded
Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days

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