WestJet Cargo's first 737-800 BCF lands in Calgary
First operator in Canada to operate the B737-800BCF which will be used for express cargo and e-commerce freight.
WestJet Cargo, on Friday, welcomed the arrival of its first of four Boeing Converted Freighter (B737-800BCF) aircraft on lease from BBAM Limited Partnership (BBAM).
WestJet Cargo is the first operator in Canada to operate the B737-800BCF which will be used for express cargo and e-commerce freight.
Alexis von Hoensbroech, WestJet CEO, welcomed the freighter in a LinkedIn post on Friday, saying, "Welcoming WestJet's first freighter. Today we welcomed home WestJet Cargo's first of four Boeing Converted Freighter aircraft, leased from BBAM, right here in Calgary. With Kirsten de Bruijn joining the WestJet Cargo team later this month, seeing this aircraft touch down signifies the start of great things to come in this growing market and I can't wait to see our dedicated commercial cargo service take flight across Canada soon."
The move follows close on the heels of WestJet's appointment of Kirsten de Bruijn as the Executive Vice President, Cargo. De Bruijn is set to join WestJet's executive leadership team later this month.
WestJet welcomed its new freighter at its home base in Calgary. "The delivery of our first freighter to our home base in Calgary, Alberta gives us great confidence in the growth and development of our commercial cargo service and I am eager to see our new dedicated commercial cargo service take flight as we begin providing competitive services to cargo customers across Canada," von Hoensbroech said.
Prior to its delivery to WestJet Cargo in Calgary, the first aircraft (msn 34686) completed conversion by Boeing at an approved MRO facility in Guangzhou, China. WestJet Cargo plans to have all four BCFs in service by the end of 2022.
Steve Zissis, president and CEO of BBAM expressed his excitement over the partnership. "BBAM is excited to partner with our long-time customer WestJet as they launch WestJet Cargo. This is our first North American placement of the Boeing 737-800BCF, an important milestone for BBAM's industry-leading freighter program."
Leveraging its quick to load and fly narrow-body aircraft, the 737-800 is equipped with CFM56-7B engines that enable WestJet Cargo to offer greater fuel efficiency, flexibility and frequency for its customers. WestJet Cargo routes and scheduled services will accommodate the diverse needs of cargo customers using WestJet's existing network and highly skilled 737 pilots.
"WestJet Cargo's mission is to provide our customers with the reliable on-time performance and competitive cost advantage synonymous with the WestJet brand and I look forward to our continued partnership with BBAM, as we witness our dedicated freighters provide our customers increased reliability, flexibility and capacity to transport their diverse shipments to their chosen destination," von Hoensbroech added.
WestJet announced its new dedicated cargo service, using the 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters (BCF), to fulfil the larger-scale needs of Canadian businesses, freight forwarders, shippers and individual customers in June 2021.