WestJet Airlines-North American Airlines Boeing 757-28A N750NA (msn 26277) YYC (Matt Dueck), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.
WestJet Airlines (Calgary) keeps its sense of humor. In this day of very serious airline business, it is refreshing to find an airline with a sense of humor. Air New Zealand is one and also WestJet. In the great honor of April Fool’s Day, WestJet issued the following statement today:
“WestJet today introduced a new state-of-the-art money-saving feature on board all flights aimed at countering the rising price of jet fuel. Effective today, WestJet will be using air mixed with helium in the ventilation system to lighten the weight of the aircraft.
Helium is approximately 85 per cent lighter than nitrogen, which accounts for 80 per cent of the air we breathe. With a maximum takeoff weight of more than 150,000 pounds, adding helium to the air mix will provide fuel savings of approximately three to four per cent on board WestJet’s Boeing Next-Generation 737s. This will, in turn, allow WestJet to pass the savings on to its guests.
“As a low-cost airline, we are constantly looking for innovative ways to keep our costs low,” said Richard Bartrem, WestJet’s Vice-President, Communications and Community Relations. “We have been working with our aviation partners to determine the feasibility of this initiative and we are very excited that it has come to fruition.”
For more information and an on-board demonstration, please visit westjet.com/helium.”
Copyright Photo: Matt Dueck. Please click on the photo for the story of this leased Boeing 757.