Westjet Cargo lands first freighter

Westjet Cargo’s first freighter landed in Calgary on April 8.

The plane is the first of four Boeing Converted Freighter (B737-800BCF) aircraft on lease from BBAM Limited Partnership (BBAM). It is the first delivered by BBAM to a North American customer. The aircraft was converted by Boeing at an approved MRO facility in Guangzhou, China.

WestJet Cargo is the first operator in Canada to operate the B737-800BCF which will be used for express cargo and e-commerce freight. All four BCFs are expected to be in service by the end of 2022.

“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,” said Alexis von Hoensbroech, WestJet CEO.

The narrow-body 737-800 is quick to load, making it possible to turn planes around quickly.

The new freighters will help Westjet Cargo provide reliable service and dedicated capacity, von Hoensbroech said.

WestJet announced its new dedicated cargo service, using 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters (BCF), to fulfill the larger-scale needs of Canadian businesses, freight forwarders, shippers and individual customers in June 2021.