DISCOUNT AIRLINE READY FOR TAKE OFF
By Adnews Staff
WestJet Airlines of Calgary is taking off Feb. 29. The discount airline will fly to and from the cities of Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Kelowna, B.C., Vancouver and Victoria. The regional carrier has adopted strategies such as flying underserved routes, setting rock-bottom prices, providing no frills service and using cheap, second-hand jets. This week the company began running print, radio and TV ads created by The Image Brokers of Calgary. WestJet backers include a group of Calgary businessmen led by real estate developer Clive Beddoe, chairman of the Hanover Group of Companies. Former U.S. airline executive David Neelman is also a WestJet investor. Neelman was president of Morris Air, a discount regional carrier based in Salt Lake City, which was bought by Southwest Airlines of Dallas in 1993.