Cargo Chat: WestJet Cargo’s de Bruijn talks regional challenges, freighter growth

Canada has seen exponential growth in cross-border trade amid challenging conditions over the past two years as supply chain stakeholders were required to remain resilient and flexible. As Canada saw its airfreight market skyrocket in 2021, carriers such as WestJet Cargo have taken full advantage of the opportunities present, expanding fleets and partnerships . Air Cargo World caught up with Kirsten de Bruijn, executive vice president of cargo at WestJet, to discuss the carrier’s plans for its incoming four converted 737-800 freighters, growing pains in Canada and de Bruijn’s goals during her first year of tenure. [caption id="attachment_99039" align="alignright" width="284"] Kirsten de Bruijn, VP Cargo, WestJet (Photo/Westjet)[/caption] Air Cargo World : What new services or projects can we expect from WestJet in the coming year? Kirsten de Bruijn : WestJet Cargo is heavily investing in our people, product offerings and technology. Our new freighters will enable WestJet Cargo to offer main-deck cargo capabilities to our customers. Additionally, in November we will offer a new online digital platform that will provide our customers with self-serve opportunities along with better tracking and tracing capabilities. ACW: When will the new freighters begin in service? Can we expect any new routes ? KDB: While the Boeing 737-800 is not a new aircraft, the 737-800BCF is new to Canada and, therefore, our freighters are awaiting certification from Transport Canada. The freighters have already been delivered to WestJet Cargo and are currently parked in Calgary awaiting certification. The certification process is completed by the aircraft manufacturer, Boeing, and WestJet’s federal regulator, Transport Canada. T his process is taking much longer than we were initially told, and we are pushing both Transport Canada and Boeing to prioritize this process. The introduction of our new Boeing 737-800 freighters will begin serving Canada and WestJet’s transborder network, so while the routes aren’t new to WestJet, they are new to WestJet Cargo from a freighter perspective, exclusively. ACW : 2022 has been filled with a slew of disruptions to the industry. How have these challenges impacted WestJet operations, and do you expect the situation to change soon? KDB: WestJet Cargo is automatically disrupted when WestJet’s guest service is disrupted. This summer, WestJet was not immune to the challenges being seen across the aviation industry, as it worked to build back capacity following nearly three years of challenges that came from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, despite these challenges WestJet remained proactive and today, our operations have drastically recovered. In fact, WestJet completed the month of August as third overall among North American air carriers for our completion factor across our network. ACW : What infrastructure challenges are you facing in Canada, and what is needed to strengthen and streamline cargo operations at airports? KDB: The Canadian market maintains an even greater need for competitive choice than what WestJet saw in 1996 when the airline began its passenger services. In addition to the supply chain issues being faced worldwide, Canada is a very large country — double the size of the European Union — and as a result, cargo services that support and transport a large multitude of products — including perishables across long distances — are highly sought after.

Cargo Chat: WestJet Cargo’s de Bruijn talks regional challenges, freighter growth

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