WestJet Encore Orders Five Q400s

Calgary-based WestJet Encore signed a firm order for five Bombardier Q400s in late July, raising its order total for the type to 30. The latest deal, valued at $167 million, involved the conversion of five options booked by parent company WestJet with its original order for the type in July 2012. Plans call for the airplanes to help support WestJet’s expansion into the eastern part of Canada, where it currently operates a base out of Toronto. The airline has announced plans to introduce service to Quebec City and Fredericton, New Brunswick, and Penticton, British Columbia, next year.

Launched in June last year with a pair of Q400s serving two destinations, WestJet Encore now flies 13 of the big turboprops to 19 destinations across Canada.