Korean Air and WestJet expanded their codeshare partnership on April 22 to provide more transpacific destinations to its customers. Korean Air will begin selling flights on WestJet’s new route between Seoul Incheon and Calgary, which will launch on May 17.
Flights on the newly launched Seoul Incheon – Calgary route will operate three times a week using Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Korean Air passengers will gain access to Calgary, Canada’s gateway to Banff National Park in the Rocky Mountains, renowned for Lake Louise and its mountain trails.
“We are excited to announce an expanded codeshare with our longstanding partner WestJet, offering our valued customers access to a wide range of transpacific destinations,” said Tae Joon Kim, Korean Air Senior Vice President and Head of International Affairs & Alliance. “The launch of WestJet’s Calgary – Seoul Incheon route will bolster connectivity between Korea and Canada, while our strengthened partnership will seamlessly connect customers to an expanded array of Asian and Canadian cities through our hubs in Incheon and Calgary, respectively.”
WestJet customers will gain access to flights operated by Korean Air to six new destinations – Bangkok, Da Nang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, and Singapore – via Korean Air’s hub at Incheon Airport.
“As we prepare for WestJet’s inaugural flights between Calgary and Incheon, the timing of this codeshare expansion is ideal. We are enhancing connectivity to more destinations in Asia for our guests and WestJet Rewards members from one of the world’s busiest cities, and Korean Air’s global hub,” said Jeff Hagen, WestJet Vice-President of Commercial Development and Strategic Partnerships. “Our longstanding reciprocal partnership with Korean Air opens up exciting opportunities for leisure and business travellers to more locations in the Asian continent and offers new guests in Asia access to all of Canada through our global hub in Calgary.”
Since Korean Air and WestJet first began its codeshare partnership in June 2012, it has continued to expand, covering Korean Air’s flights from Seoul Incheon to Vancouver and Toronto; WestJet’s domestic routes within Canada; and flights to/from the United States via Vancouver and Toronto. With the new codeshare expansion, the airlines’ codeshare network will increase to 36 routes.