Summary
- All seven routes use the Boeing 737 MAX 8.
- They include WestJet’s brand-new Calgary-Keflavik service.
- Only one of Icelandair’s 737 MAX links to Canada was long enough to be included.
If long-haul markets are defined as 2,600 nautical miles (4,815 km) or more, Canada has seven routes by Boeing 737s between June and September. This finding is based on examining all non-stop passenger flight schedules supplied by airlines to OAG and Cirium.
The seven routes
The following table details them. They include one brand-new route in 2024: WestJet between Calgary, its primary hub, and Keflavik. Not only was it WestJet’s first time in Iceland, but it was also the first time the airport pair had been served. It was never part of Icelandair’s network.
Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock
Please note the following caveats:
- The data is only for June to September; things may differ at other times.
- Based on the Great Circle distance, only routes that are 2,600 nautical miles (4,815 km) or more are included.
- Anything lower than that distance, even slightly, is excluded; that is why, for example, Air Canada’s Halifax-London Heathrow and Air Saint Pierre’s wet-leased 737 link to Paris CDG aren’t included.
- If maximum block times were used instead, the order would be somewhat different; even number one would be different.
- The information is subject to change.
Related
Georgian Wings: Tiny Airline Has New Classic Boeing 737-300 Flights Of Over 4 Hours
Nothing to do with Canada or long-haul, but it’s nonetheless significant.
|
Nautical miles (km) |
Maximum block time* |
Canadian route |
Airline |
Comments about June-September |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
3,080 (5,703) |
7h 40m |
Keflavik-Vancouver |
Icelandair |
737 MAX 8 mainly runs three to four weekly; the 757-200ER is also scheduled through August |
|
2,907 (5,383) |
7h 54m (twice at this block time)** |
Calgary-Punta Cana |
WestJet |
Weekly 737 MAX 8 |
|
2,894 (5,359) |
7h 34m |
Toronto-Edinburgh |
WestJet |
Last served in 2022, returned in 2024. Daily 737 MAX 8 (three to five weekly in September) |
|
2,849 (5,276) |
7h 54m |
Toronto-Dublin |
WestJet |
Last served in 2022, returned in 2024. Daily 737 MAX 8 (three to five weekly in September) |
|
2,780 (5,148) |
6h 58m |
Calgary-Keflavik |
WestJet |
The brand-new route started on May 15, 2024; four weekly 737 MAX 8 |
|
2,717 (5,031) |
7h 29m (twice at this block time) |
Calgary-Honolulu |
WestJet |
Weekly 737 MAX 8 |
|
2,686 (4,974) |
7h 30m (twice at this block time) |
Calgary-Kahului |
WestJet |
Weekly 737 MAX 8 |
|
* Either direction any time from June-Sept, even if once. ** Most of the time, it is 7h 37m (really) |
Only one Icelandair route
The Icelandic flag carrier will use the 737 MAX fully or partly to three Canadian airports between June and September: Halifax, Toronto, and Vancouver. Only Vancouver exceeded the distance cut-off point. Icelandair has served Vancouver for a decade, with the 757-200ER exclusively deployed until September 2023. The MAX 8 first appeared in October 2023.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
When the MAX 8 and 757 are combined, Icelandair’s Vancouver route has four weekly flights in the summer of 2024. It is scheduled as follows, with all times local:
- Keflavik-Vancouver: FI697, 17:15-17:55 (7h 40m)
- Vancouver-Keflavik: FI698, 15:40-06:00+1 (7h 20m)
Due to the stage length and the need to maximize two-way connectivity across Europe, without which the route would obviously not be viable, the aircraft remains overnight in Canada. This setup is highly costly and inefficient, but it would be even more so if the aircraft returned immediately and didn’t connect to any or many other flights.
What is the longest 737 flight to/from Canada you’ve been on? Let us know in the comments section.