CALGARY — WestJet’s long-awaited service to Rome from Calgary is officially up and running.
Flight 32 departed May 7 from YYC Calgary International Airport for Rome, the airline’s first-ever scheduled connection between the two cities, on a 320-seat 787 Dreamliner. The new route, which was originally set to launch in May 2020 but was postponed due to the pandemic, will operate during peak season up to 3x/weekly.
“The launch of our highly anticipated Calgary-Rome service is an incredible milestone for both WestJet and our guests as we’ve been looking forward to this moment for more than two years,” said Angela Avery, WestJet’s Executive Vice-President, External Affairs. “With its rich history and culture, it is no surprise that our guests are eager to visit Rome. We are thrilled to provide Western Canadians with increased connectivity to this incredible city. We are also excited to bring guests from Rome to visit Canada and assist with the recovery of Canada’s vital tourism industry.”
The new service rounds out WestJet’s investments in Alberta’s transatlantic connectivity, and provides Alberta with a 43% increase in the airline’s service to Europe compared to 2019. WestJet currently offers Western Canadians and northwestern-based Americans easy access to five European destinations from Calgary: Rome, Paris, Dublin and both London-Heathrow and Gatwick.
Premier of Alberta Jason Kenney said: “WestJet continues to be a true Alberta success story. This new step, expanding its international offerings with a direct flight to Rome, will create new opportunities for Albertans to see the world. WestJet’s continued growth is another sign of Alberta’s recovery as our tourism industry gets back on its feet after two tough years.”
The news comes on the heels of the launch of WestJet’s and Air Transat’s new transatlantic codeshare, which was first announced back in November 2021. WestJet’s WS code Is now activated for sale on select Air Transat operated flights to/from France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland and Croatia.
