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WestJet to receive first 737 MAX 10 by end of 2026

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WestJet shifts focus to South America, Europe

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CEO confident in Boeing's ( BA ) certification timeline for MAX

10

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Canadian trips to US decline amid trade tensions

By Allison Lampert

Nov 18 (Reuters) - WestJet Airlines remains on track to

take its first 737 MAX 10 jet by the end of 2026, following

progress by Boeing ( BA ) in bringing the plane to market, as

the Canadian carrier also adds new routes to South America and

Europe, its CEO said on Tuesday.

Calgary-based WestJet, which operates Boeing 737 and 787

jets, will be among the first airlines to take delivery of the

MAX 10, after the long-delayed, larger 737 jet is certified by

U.S. regulators.

Boeing ( BA ) expects both the 737 MAX 7 and MAX 10 will be certified

in 2026. The planemaker said it has made progress on a fix

related to an issue with the jets' engine anti-ice system that

could lead to it overheating and potentially causing an engine

failure.

"We are pretty confident that this is moving forwards and

that's what we also hear from Boeing ( BA )," WestJet CEO Alexis von

Hoensbroech told Reuters. "At this point in time, the delivery

schedule foresees that we will receive our first MAX 10 in Q4

2026. So we hope it happens."

While the MAX 10 would eventually become the carrier's main

aircraft type, von Hoensbroech said WestJet could switch models

to smaller MAX 8s, if certification and aircraft deliveries are

delayed further.

Canada's second largest carrier has also been shifting

capacity on leisure routes away from the United States, as

demand drops due to trade tensions.

WestJet on Tuesday added international seasonal routes from

Toronto and Halifax, including a flight to Medellin, Colombia,

its first non-stop destination in South America.

Though the number of returning Canadian-resident trips from

overseas countries by air increased 3.9% in September 2025, on

an annual basis, the number of returning Canadian-resident trips

by air from the United States declined 27.1% during the same

period, according to data from Statistics Canada.

"At this point in time we just see that Canadians vote with

their feet and avoid the U.S. if they can," he said.