WestJet gears up for summer growth as airline banks on domestic travel amid weak loonie [Video]

Even as rival airlines limit their expansion plans, WestJet has begun to gear up for a major growth spurt this year, with a focus on in-country travel brought on by a low loonie and pinched pocketbooks.

Flight volumes from the country’s second-largest airline will increase by 10 per cent this summer compared to last, WestJet says.

Fuelling that uptick are the nine planes previously leased by Lynx Air that WestJet snapped up last year after the discount carrier’s collapse. The Boeing 737 Max 8s will allow WestJet to partly make up for delays on the roughly 60 Boeing jets it was expecting by 2028, but that are held up amid production issues.

WestJet plans to launch 11 new routes across its network beginning in May, on top of increased volumes on current routes.

The bulk of the expansion will go toward shoring up existing service to cities in Canada, from Victoria to Montreal. The Calgary-based company will also return …