The busy Atlantic seaport of Halifax is the capital of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia which has strong historic and cultural links with Scotland. In recognition of the close ties, WestJet has numbered the Glasgow flight WS 30 in honour of St Andrew’s Day which falls on 30 November.
The inaugural non-stop flight will depart Glasgow on 30 May 2015 and will fly daily until 24 October 2015. The route will have a journey time of five hours 15 minutes and will be operated by one of the airline’s Boeing Next-Generation 737-700 series aircraft which has 136 seats.
Amanda McMillan, managing director of Glasgow Airport, said: “This is fantastic news for Glasgow Airport and for Scotland. WestJet is an ambitious airline with an extensive route network and we’re delighted it has chosen Glasgow as its first ever UK destination. Scotland has always enjoyed a close relationship with Canada and not only will the daily service to Halifax provide our customers with greater choice, it will further strengthen our long haul connectivity.
“This announcement underlines our commitment to delivering the routes and services our customers demand and we are looking forward to welcoming WestJet to Glasgow.”
Councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, said: “WestJet’s new route from Halifax is a major boost for Glasgow, providing the perfect opportunity to strengthen cultural and business links between both cities. There will undoubtedly be strong demand for this service, which has huge potential to deliver significant inbound leisure tourism.
“Canada is Glasgow’s second largest international market with 37, 000 trips made each year by Canadian visitors who generate £12 million for the city’s economy.
“Glasgow City Marketing Bureau has a strong relationship with Halifax Stanfield International Airport and has been working closely with WestJet in recent months to progress a joint marketing campaign in Halifax geared at highlighting the ease of access to Glasgow for visitors from the eastern seaboard. Glasgow is constantly striving to improve its air links and connect the city to the global marketplace. We’re looking forward to working with WestJet to ensure the success of this route.”
Transport Minister Keith Brown said: “I warmly welcome the announcement of this new route between Scotland and Canada, which will provide a boost to tourism and business on both sides of the Atlantic.
Route 374 is a collector road in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. It connects New Glasgow at Exit 24 of Highway 104 with Sheet Harbour at Trunk 7.
markprops