A decade ago, when WestJet Airlines had about 50 Boeing 737s, its executives calculated the airline would saturate the North American market when its fleet reached 90-100 mainline narrowbodies. That left them wondering whether to add new aircraft types or simply slow expansion. Unlike its U.S. counterpart, Southwest Airlines, which has stuck with 737s and only waded tentatively into international markets, Calgary-based WestJet chose a more daring approach as its fleet count neared 100, moving first to build a wholly owned regional subsidiary called WestJet Encore. In June 2013, Encore launched in Western Canada with two Bombardier Q400 turboprops. Now Encore has 18 Q400s, enabling WestJet to expand its footprint.
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