Calgary — In an interview at their Calgary headquarters, Ed Sims, President and CEO of WestJet, announced the company has a bold new approach to servicing the Atlantic provinces.
“Man, I just got finished watching old episodes of Band of Brothers, and wow, what a great show! It gave me an idea,” he explained. “It doesn’t make financial sense to land in places like Moncton and Charlottetown anymore, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get people where they need to go. What we need to do is look to the past for a solution!
“So today,” he continued, “we’re officially launching what we call our WestJet Maritimer Class service. No service to your local airport in Miramichi? No problem! With a Maritimer Class ticket, we provide you with an authentic WW2 replica paratrooper parachute, strap you to the side of one of our luxurious Boeing 737s, and drop you off over the airstrip of your choice. Heck, if you live in the country, we can even drop you in the nearest field for an extra $50!
“We’re still working out things like inflight meals and entertainment, but we’re thinking we can hang a basket out the window and just lower it back to you with some treats,” Sims added, “…at an added cost of course.”
We reached out to Miramichi resident and frequent flier Jerry Verner for his thoughts on the move.
“I think it’s a great idea,” he said. “I just hope they can figure out how to drop me close enough to my luggage so I don’t have to trek across to Kouchibouguac to pick up my underwear…We’ll see.”