WestJet and TELUS will be Canada's first to leverage Starlink technology
to bring Canadians best-in-class, high-speed internet onboard
beginning December 2024
CALGARY,
AB, July 24, 2024 /CNW/ - Today, WestJet and
TELUS unveiled the first step in a multi-year strategic partnership
that will transform the inflight experience for WestJet guests by
providing industry-leading, fast and free internet, presented by
TELUS and delivered by Starlink onboard WestJet aircraft. This
announcement marks the beginning of a fully integrated partnership
between WestJet and TELUS, and a significant leap forward for the
airline's inflight connectivity.
"Through our strategic partnership with TELUS, we are setting a
new standard in the Canadian airline industry by offering
Starlink's revolutionary inflight connectivity, and thanks to TELUS
we are able to bring this inflight experience to WestJet Rewards
guests for free," said John
Weatherill, WestJet Group Executive Vice-President and Chief
Commercial Officer.
In the coming months, WestJet and TELUS will announce
additional, exclusive benefits and perks for WestJet Rewards
members and TELUS customers.
"The future of inflight connectivity and entertainment is here,
and we're excited to enter this long-term partnership with WestJet
to enhance the flying experience for guests and bring more value to
WestJet Rewards members and TELUS customers, whether they are on
the ground or in the air" said Zainul
Mawji, Executive Vice-president and President, TELUS
Consumer Solutions.
WestJet will be the largest North American and first commercial
Boeing 737 airline to offer inflight connectivity powered by
Starlink's best-in-class technology platform, which includes the
world's largest satellite constellation. Starlink was selected as
WestJet's new inflight technology partner for its ability to
deliver enough bandwidth and lowest latency internet for every
guest onboard to live-stream videos or online game direct from
their devices as if they were at home.
"With more than 1,000 aircraft committed to Starlink worldwide,
high-speed, low-latency internet is the future of aviation
connectivity and we're excited to work with WestJet to bring
Starlink technology to their guests in the coming months," said
Jason Fritch, SpaceX's Vice
President of Starlink Enterprise Sales.
This new platform will take flight before the end of 2024, with
plans to complete the installation on WestJet's modern narrowbody
fleet by the end of 2025. All wide-body aircraft are planned to be
upgraded by the end of 2026.
Access to the new inflight system will be exclusively provided
to WestJet Rewards members free of charge thanks to TELUS. WestJet
guests can easily become WestJet Rewards members by simply creating
a WestJet Rewards account online at any time in advance of their
WestJet operated flight.
About WestJet
In 28 years of serving Canadians, WestJet has cut airfares in
half and increased the flying population in Canada to more than 50 per cent. WestJet
launched in 1996 with three aircraft, 250 employees and five
destinations, growing over the years to more than 180 aircraft,
14,000 employees and more than 100 destinations in 26
countries.
For more information about everything WestJet, please visit
westjet.com.
Connect with WestJet on Facebook at facebook.com/westjet
Follow WestJet on Twitter at twitter.com/westjet and
twitter.com/WestJetNews
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Read the WestJet Newsroom at westjet.com/en-ca/news
About TELUS
TELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is a dynamic, world-leading
communications technology company with more than $18 billion in annual revenue and over 18 million
customer connections spanning wireless, data, IP, voice,
television, entertainment, video, and security. Our social purpose
is to leverage our global-leading technology and compassion to
drive social change and enable remarkable human outcomes. Our
longstanding commitment to putting our customers first fuels every
aspect of our business, making us a distinct leader in customer
service excellence and loyalty. The numerous, sustained accolades
TELUS has earned over the years from independent, industry-leading
network insight firms showcase the strength and speed of TELUS'
global-leading networks, reinforcing our commitment to provide
Canadians with access to superior technology that connects us to
the people, resources and information that make our lives
better.
About SpaceX Starlink
Developed by SpaceX, Starlink provides high-speed, low-latency
broadband internet in over 100 countries and territories around the
world through over 6,000 satellites providing over 275 Tbps of
capacity. Starlink began serving commercial aircraft last year with
in-flight high-speed internet with over 1000 aircraft committed.
With satellites positioned in low-Earth orbit at an altitude over
65 times closer than conventional geostationary satellites,
Starlink achieves significantly lower latency and higher
transmission speeds for its end users. Starlink can deliver up to 1
Gbps to aircraft, and with latency as low as 20 ms, passengers can
engage in activities previously not functional in flight, including
online gaming, virtual private networks, and other high data rate
activities.
SOURCE WESTJET, an Alberta Partnership