Fort Saskatchewan travellers can add a few more locations to their list.
On Monday (Feb. 13) morning, WestJet announced its largest-ever network expansion out of the Edmonton International Airport (EIA).
This expansion is part of their 2023 summer schedule and includes two new non-stop service routes to Minneapolis, Minnesota and Seattle, Washington.
On top of that, new domestic routes to connect Alberta to the east coast were also unveiled. These routes will connect with the following Canadian cities:
- London, Ontario
- Moncton, New Brunswick
- Charlottetown, PEI
Nonstop flights to Ottawa, Montreal, Nanaimo, and Penticton will also resume in the summer.
Randy Boissonnault, a native of Morinville and MP for Edmonton Centre, is hoping these connections will not only help potential travellers but also boost the local economy.
“These new connections serve as an important tool for further positioning Edmonton as an international hub for trade and travel in Western Canada," said Boissonnault. "New routes to the US will further open up economic expansion opportunities for businesses in the Edmonton region while also bringing in visitors to explore everything our great capital city region has to offer."
There is also some excitement about the tourism these new routes could bring to the province.
"Seeing more visitors enjoying all that Alberta has to offer is something our government is excited about," said Todd Loewen, the minister of forestry, parks, and tourism. " Our festivals, parks and mountains are second to none, and we look forward to sharing them with the world.”
It's expected that the new routes will increase WestJet's service by about 50 per cent at EIA in the summer compared to 2022.