WestJet sees slow-selling Boeing Max 7 as key to savings, seating boost

Boeing’s slow-selling 737 Max 7 has a big fan in Western Canada. WestJet Airlines next year will become the second carrier, after Southwest Airlines, to operate the smallest version of Boeing’s upgraded workhorse. The company is set to receive 5 of the single-aisle jetliners next year. “We love those planes,” WestJet CE Gregg Saretsky said, citing the aircraft’s range and 12 additional seats compared with the Boeing 737-700, a linchpin of the airline’s fleet. “It’s great for long, thin markets.” The model is longer and flies a greater distance than Boeing had originally planned. With input from Southwest and WestJet — and as sales flagged — Boeing decided to stretch the frame to squeeze in 2 more rows of passengers. The Max 7 can now fly as many as 172 travellers and as far as 3,850 nautical miles. <br/>