"We are thrilled to bring back this historic route between Calgary and Paris, reconnecting these two incredible cities and providing easy and unique travel opportunities throughout Europe for Western Canadians," said John Weatherill, WestJet Chief Commercial Officer. "Calgary to Paris is a key market for inbound tourism to Western Canada. Alongside a successful vaccination rollout across Canada, we are proud to see this route return and will continue to invest in the economic recovery and growth of both Calgary and Alberta, following the COVID-19 pandemic."
In 2019, WestJet's investment in direct flights from Europe to Alberta drove $90 Million in spend from 56,000 inbound travellers.
Air France codeshare partnership
The return of Calgary-Paris also restores WestJet's longstanding codeshare partnership with Air France, giving Canadian business and leisure travellers the ability to seamlessly connect to and from 16 cities in greater Europe, including Rome, Venice, Athens and Lisbon. WestJet guests connecting through Air France are eligible to continue earning WestJet Dollars throughout their entire journey as they travel to their preferred European destinations.
Details of WestJet's service between Calgary and Paris:
Route | Frequency | Start Date |
Calgary – Paris | 1x weekly | Aug. 20 – October 29, 2021 |
Paris – Calgary | 1x weekly | Aug. 22 – October 31, 2021 |
Additional quotes
"Congratulations to WestJet on resuming their direct service from YYC to Paris. This transatlantic route will further strengthen our presence as WestJet's global hub, as guests are once again able to experience the city of lights in just nine hours. We look forward to welcoming visitors from France and the region to Calgary as they make plans to travel again," said Rob Palmer, Vice-President, Commercial, Strategy and Chief Financial Officer, of The Calgary Airport Authority.
"Connections to global markets are vital for attracting companies, capital and people to Calgary, said Brad Parry, Interim President & CEO, Calgary Economic Development. Having WestJet's hub in Calgary, providing direct service to international markets like Paris, provides us with a competitive advantage. It is one of the many reasons global businesses continue to set up their offices and headquarters for North America in Calgary."
"I am delighted with this excellent news. This resumption of traffic between Calgary and France will allow us to further develop economic and cultural exchanges between Western Canada and France. Thank you, WestJet, for reopening this route," said Kareen Rispal French Ambassador to Canada.
