Boeing (BOE, Chicago O'Hare International (ORD)) has unveiled Southwest Airlines (WN, Dallas Love Field (DAL)) as the launch customer for its 737 MAX 7, the third member of the 737 MAX family, after Southwest converted 30 existing orders for Next-Generation 737s into orders for the 737 MAX 7. Southwest also exercised options to add five more B737-800s to its fleet (and converted five outstanding B737-700 orders to -800s) which, together with the 737 MAX 7s, are part of Southwest’s ongoing effort to improve fuel efficiency and overall profitability. In addition, the Dallas-based LCC says it will buy ten used B737-700s from Canada's WestJet (WS, Calgary International (YYC)) over the next two years as a means of tiding itself over until the delivery of its first 737 MAX 7, due in 2019.

WestJet (WS, Calgary International (YYC)) has struck a deal with Boeing (BOE, Chicago O'Hare International (ORD)) for the purchase of ten B737-800s but has chosen to defer delivery of a previous order for five B737-700s from 2014/15 to 2016/17. In addition, as part of its modernization and optimization drive, the Canadian operator will, through a separate agreement with an undisclosed third party, sell 10 of its oldest 737-700s in 2014 and 2015 thereby lowering the overall age of it's fleet by one year. Overall, WestJet operates thirteen B737-600s, sixty-nine B737-700s and twenty-one B737-800s.

WestJet Encore (Calgary International (YYC)) has announced its initial regional routes that it plans to serve with the first of the twenty Dash 8-400s it has on order. It plans to launch operations on June 24 introducing new daily services from Calgary International (YYC) to Fort St. John (YXJ) and Nanaimo (YCD) and from Vancouver International (YVR) to Fort St. John and Victoria International (YYJ) to the WestJet (WS, Calgary International (YYC)) network. From August 15, WestJet Encore will also introduce a new non-stop service from Calgary to Grande Prairie (YQU) complementing existing one-stop services via Edmonton International (YEG). Fort St. John and Nanaimo are new destinations to the WestJet network but WestJet Encore will also replace or increase mainline frequencies on several routes already served from Calgary and Edmonton.

WestJet (WS, Calgary International (YYC)) CEO Gregg Saretsky has told investors that the Canadian low-cost carrier would be considering new generation widebody aircraft from Airbus Industrie (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac (TLS)) and Boeing (BOE, Chicago O'Hare International (ORD)) to evaluate whether it would make sense to enter the long-haul market from 2018 onwards at the earliest.

WestJet (WS, Calgary International (YYC)) has announced that its new regional carrier that will operate up to 20 Dash 8-400s from the second half of 2013 will be called WestJet Encore (Calgary International (YYC)). Westjet mainly plans to use Westjet Encore to operate to markets where its smallest aircraft type in its fleet, the B737-600, is considered too big.