WestJet Link

WestJet Link was a regional aviation brand used by Pacific Coastal Airlines to operate feeder services for WestJet. It was created to extend WestJet’s network into smaller communities in British Columbia and Alberta that were not generally suited to the larger aircraft used by WestJet’s mainline operation. The service connected these communities with WestJet hubs, principally Calgary International Airport and Vancouver International Airport, allowing passengers to transfer into the broader WestJet network. The brand was developed around a capacity-sharing and regional-connection model rather than as a separate airline with its own independent corporate operating structure. Pacific Coastal Airlines supplied the aircraft, crews, and operational platform, while flights were marketed and integrated into WestJet’s network under the WestJet Link name. The arrangement gave WestJet a presence in smaller western Canadian markets and provided those communities with connections to larger domestic and onward destinations. WestJet Link service was originally scheduled to begin on March 7, 2018, but the launch was delayed. Operations eventually commenced on June 21, 2018. The service used 34-seat Saab 340 turboprop aircraft operated by Pacific Coastal Airlines. The aircraft were appropriate for short regional sectors and for airports where demand was insufficient to support larger jet aircraft. Although the brand was presented as part of the WestJet network, the aircraft and operating personnel remained associated with Pacific Coastal Airlines. Only the first two aircraft assigned to the operation displayed the word “Link” prominently in their livery; later aircraft generally used standard WestJet colours. At its widest stated scope, WestJet Link connected WestJet mainline services with nine destinations in British Columbia and Alberta. Every route operated to or from Calgary International Airport or Vancouver International Airport. Its role was therefore concentrated in Western Canada, with the hub connections providing access to the wider WestJet system rather than creating a standalone point-to-point regional network. On May 13, 2024, WestJet announced that WestJet Link operations would end on October 26, 2024. The associated flying was to be transferred back to WestJet Encore, WestJet’s wholly owned regional airline brand. The change ended WestJet Link as a branded operating arrangement, while preserving the underlying objective of serving smaller communities through WestJet’s regional network. By October 2024, Pacific Coastal Airlines had five Saab 340 aircraft painted and operating for WestJet Link. Following the scheduled termination date, WestJet Link became a defunct brand.

WestJet Link was established as a WestJet regional feeder brand operated by Pacific Coastal Airlines. Its purpose was to extend the WestJet network into smaller western Canadian communities and connect those communities with the airline’s larger hubs. The arrangement combined WestJet’s network marketing and hub connectivity with Pacific Coastal’s experience operating small regional aircraft. The service was initially scheduled to start on March 7, 2018. That date was not met, and operations were delayed until June 21, 2018. Once launched, WestJet Link concentrated on destinations in British Columbia and Alberta. The service connected with WestJet operations at Calgary International Airport and Vancouver International Airport, giving passengers from smaller markets access to WestJet’s wider domestic network. Pacific Coastal Airlines operated the flights using 34-seat Saab 340 turboprops. WestJet Link was therefore a branded regional operating arrangement rather than a separately incorporated airline with an independently described fleet and management structure. Aircraft presentation varied: the first two aircraft displayed “Link” branding, while the remaining aircraft generally used standard WestJet colours. By October 2024, five Pacific Coastal Saab 340s were painted and operating for the service. The brand ended as part of a regional-network change announced by WestJet on May 13, 2024. WestJet stated that WestJet Link operations would cease on October 26, 2024, and that the flying would be transferred back to WestJet Encore. This made WestJet Link a short-lived regional brand whose principal historical function was to provide smaller-community access to WestJet hubs during the period from 2018 to 2024.

• 2024

  WestJet announces brand closure

  [1]WestJet Linken.wikipedia.org

  WestJet announced that WestJet Link would cease operations on October 26, with flying transferred to WestJet Encore.

• 2024

  WestJet Link operations end

  [1]WestJet Linken.wikipedia.org

  The branded service was scheduled to end on October 26, 2024.

• 2018

  WestJet Link brand established

  [1]WestJet Linken.wikipedia.org

  WestJet created the regional feeder brand to connect smaller communities in Western Canada with its Calgary and Vancouver hubs through Pacific Coastal Airlines-operated flights.

• 2018

  Planned launch delayed

  [1]WestJet Linken.wikipedia.org

  The originally announced March 7 launch date was postponed.

• 2018

  Operations commence

  [1]WestJet Linken.wikipedia.org

  WestJet Link began operating on June 21 using Pacific Coastal Airlines Saab 340 aircraft.

Regional feeder airline brand for smaller communities in Western Canada

• Regional airline service · 2018

  WestJet Link regional passenger service

  Scheduled regional passenger flights marketed under the WestJet Link name and operated by Pacific Coastal Airlines. The service used 34-seat Saab 340 turboprops to connect smaller communities in British Columbia and Alberta with WestJet’s Calgary and Vancouver hubs. Its value proposition was network access: passengers in lower-volume markets could connect with the broader WestJet system without requiring mainline-sized aircraft on the local sector.

• 2024

  Transfer of WestJet Link flying to WestJet EncoreStrategy

  Background

  WestJet announced a change to the operator and branding of the regional flying serving smaller western Canadian communities.

  Action taken

  On May 13, 2024, WestJet announced that WestJet Link would cease operations on October 26, 2024, with the associated flying transferred back to WestJet Encore.

  Aftermath

  WestJet Link ended as a separate regional brand, while the regional service function was assigned to WestJet Encore.

  Source

• 2018

  Launch of WestJet Link regional feeder serviceProduct launch

  Background

  WestJet sought to connect smaller western Canadian communities with its larger domestic hubs while using aircraft suited to lower-demand regional markets.

  Action taken

  WestJet introduced a branded feeder arrangement operated by Pacific Coastal Airlines with 34-seat Saab 340 aircraft. The service began on June 21, 2018 after a delay from the originally planned March launch.

  Aftermath

  The brand operated a regional network linking nine destinations in British Columbia and Alberta with Calgary and Vancouver.

  Source

1. 1WestJet Linken.wikipedia.org