WestJet welcomes start of Alberta-based quarantine trial

02/11/2020 11:23

Guests from flight 1511 from LAX first to participate in innovative pilot program

CALGARY, AB, Nov. 2, 2020 /CNW/ - WestJet today welcomed WS1511 from Los Angeles (LAX) to Calgary International Airport (YYC) as the first of its international flights eligible to participate in a new Government of Alberta testing pilot program. The program is trialing a reduced quarantine period in Alberta, while protecting Canadians from COVID-19.

"The start of this unique trial is a significant first step in giving peace of mind to those who need to travel and were apprehensive due to the rigorous quarantine requirements and testing restrictions," said Arved von zur Muehlen, WestJet Chief Commercial Officer. "This pilot is the health and science-based approach that WestJet and our industry has been seeking. We encourage our guests to adhere to all of the health guidelines in place as part of this program."

Eligible participants include Canadians and permanent residents arriving at Calgary International Airport on non-stop international flights who will remain in the Province of Alberta for a minimum of 14-days or exempt travellers who will remain for less than 14-days. Participants will be able to access the testing pilot, if determined eligible and opting-in when clearing customs. Testing wait times may vary based on the volume of international arrivals. For eligible travellers, quarantine will only be required until a negative test result is received, potentially reducing the quarantine from 14-days to as few as two. Details can be found here: https://www.westjet.com/en-ca/travel-info/covid-testing

Calgary is WestJet's home and largest hub. At this time, WestJet is the only Canadian airline that has reintroduced a network of key international markets from Calgary including Palm Springs, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun and Cabo San Lucas. Schedule details can be found on westjet.com

Since the beginning of the pandemic, WestJet has implemented more than 20 additional health and safety measures during the travel journey and continues to evolve its cleaning to meet the needs of guests and WestJetters. Beyond what is already in place through the Safety Above All program, the airline is leaving no stone unturned to uncover additional safety measures. WestJet is taking a data-driven, science-based approach to develop and evaluate operational policies and practices and review the latest research and recommendations from both internal and third-party experts including the University of Alberta and University of British Columbia. Since March, the airline has safely flown more than one million guests on more than 25,000 flights.

About WestJet
Since the start of the pandemic the WestJet Group of Companies has built a layered framework of safety measures to ensure Canadians can continue to travel safely and responsibly through the airline's Safety Above All hygiene program. During this time, WestJet has maintained its status as one of the top-10 on-time airlines in North America as named by Cirium.

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Recent recognition includes:
2019/2018/2017 Best Airline in Canada (TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice awards for Airlines)
2019 Winner Among Mid-Sized Airlines in North America (TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice awards for Airlines)
2019 Number-One Ranked Canadian Airline Loyalty Program in Member Engagement (Bond Brand Loyalty)
2019/2018 Number-One-Ranked Airline Credit Card in Canada (Rewards Canada)