Canadian airline WestJet is set to begin flights April 7 from Calgary, Canada, to Atlanta in April as it eyes a joint venture with codeshare partner Delta Air Lines Inc.
Delta and the low-cost carrier signed a joint venture agreement last August that is pending government approval in both countries.
The flight, which brings the 11th foreign carrier to Atlanta, is to create “seamless” one-stop connections for WestJet passengers looking to take advantage of Delta’s extensive reach throughout the Southeast and the broader U.S., Delta has said.
Delta travelers can also transit through Calgary, Canada’s third-largest city, as if they were traveling on the same carrier.
WestJet has extensive service to western Canada and some reach into 25 other U.S. cities, but very limited service to Delta hub cities. The joint venture application filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation emphasizes the complementary nature of the carriers’ flight maps and Delta’s track record of using international joint ventures to expand choice for travelers. The goal is to compete with the United-Air Canada joint venture. WestJet was named the top low-cost airline in Canada by SkyTrax in 2018.
WestJet aims to offer additional services to Atlanta in the future, according to a Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport news release. The airport welcomed WestJet executives on an inaugural flight March 12, though the six-day-a-week flights won’t officially begin until April.
Calgary, like Atlanta, is a former Olympic host city. It’s located just east of the Rocky Mountains in the state of Alberta, which has a burgeoning oil industry.
