MINNEAPOLIS — A new airline at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is scheduled to launch new flights to Western Canada this summer.
WestJet, the second-largest Canadian airline, plans to fly its first-ever service between MSP and Edmonton, Alberta (YEG) beginning in June.
The Calgary-based airline will become the 16th airline operating at MSP in 2023, according to a news release Monday from the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC).
The new flights are part of WestJet's summer expansion to Minneapolis, Detroit and Washington D.C.
"We're thrilled to welcome WestJet to Minnesota and are pleased to add an important business route to Edmonton from MSP," Brian Ryks, CEO of the Metropolitan Airports Commission, said in the release. "WestJet's arrival also opens up new connections for travelers across Western Canada and the United States leveraging their codeshare with Delta Air Lines, MSP's largest carrier."
Starting June 2, WestJet will fly to Edmonton five times a week. It will be the only airline at MSP flying to Edmonton.
Business officials say they are excited about having another route to Minnesota's top export market.
Minnesota exported $4.8 billion in goods to Canada in 2018, representing 21% of the state's total goods exports, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
"The new service to Edmonton will make travel easier and faster between Minnesota, the broader Midwest, and all of Western Canada, strengthening partnerships and opening new opportunities between people, communities and businesses," Ariel Delouya, Canada's Consul General in Minneapolis, said in the MAC release.
WestJet launched in 1996 with just three used Boeing 737s, 225 employees and five destinations. By 2023, the airline has grown to more than 14,000 employees flying 180 airplanes to more than 100 destinations in 24 countries.
