WestJet Completes Retrofit of All-Economy Boeing 737s

CALGARY — WestJet (WS) says it has completed the transformation of its remaining all-economy aircraft, ending nearly three years of all-economy Boeing 737 operations at the carrier.

The milestone comes as the final 189-seat all-economy 737 operating for WestJet leaves service and enters retrofit to the airline's new standard configuration. That means the transition is complete from an operational standpoint, although work on the final aircraft is still underway.

The 43 all-economy Boeing 737-800 and 737-8 aircraft entered WestJet's mainline fleet after the airline reintegrated ultra-low-cost offshoot Swoop (WO), acquired and merged vacation carrier Sunwing Airlines (WG), and took former Lynx Air (Y9) aircraft on lease after the Calgary-based carrier ceased operations.

“Unifying our narrowbody fleet is an important step in delivering the reliable and welcoming experience our guests and WestJetters expect from us,” said Samantha Taylor, WestJet Group Executive Vice-President and Chief Experience Officer. “This milestone creates a stronger foundation for our teams to focus on delivering exceptional service and a seamless travel experience for our guests.”

A 174-Seat Standard

The new cabin has 174 seats. Up front are 12 Collins Aerospace MiQ seats in a 2-2 layout, marketed in WestJet's domestic business-style Premium cabin. The remaining 162 Collins Pinnacle economy seats include 36 marketed as Extended Comfort.

The economy seats feature personal-device holders, adjacent USB-A and USB-C power ports, and four-way adjustable headrests. The MiQ is the same basic seat used on WestJet's Boeing 787 fleet, though the 737 version takes a different design approach and replaces seatback entertainment screens with the same device holders.

Tuesday's announcement marks the culmination of a rocky year for passenger experience. In September 2025, WestJet added an extra row to newly built 737-8s and to former Swoop and Lynx aircraft undergoing reconfiguration. The resulting 180-seat layout reduced base economy pitch to 28 inches and removed recline.

The change met strong public backlash. WestJet halted the program and later backed away from the 180-seat configuration in favor of 174 seats. The final 180-seat aircraft had its extra row removed and seat pitch restored in June 2026, while the airline confirmed that work continues to restore recline across the affected fleet.

Many newly reconfigured aircraft already have recline in every row, but the work is not yet complete on all aircraft that previously carried the 180-seat layout.

Looking Ahead

With the final 189-seat aircraft now in the retrofit program, what's next?

WestJet said 14 Boeing 737-800s will enter retrofit beginning in September and receive new seats before the end of 2026. The airline also confirmed to Airways that “Retrofit activities will resume on WestJet’s remaining 737-800NG and MAX aircraft in 2027.”

Those aircraft currently have 174 older-generation Recaro seats, with 12 in Premium and 162 in Economy. WestJet has 101 aircraft with those seats: 34 Boeing 737-800s, 32 Boeing 737-8s and 35 Boeing 737-700s.

The 737-700s are due to leave the fleet over the next couple of years. Once the 14 planned 737-800 conversions are complete this year, 52 737-800 and 737-8 aircraft will remain for conversion in 2027 and beyond.

Starlink also continues to roll out across much of the WestJet fleet. All in-service Boeing 737-800 and 737-8 aircraft now have the system installed, marketed as WestJet Wi-Fi presented by TELUS.

The seven-aircraft Boeing 787 fleet is expected to receive Starlink after the summer season and by the end of the year. The retiring 737-700 fleet remains an unlikely candidate for the hardware.

“We are in the process of modernizing our 737 fleet, which includes the planned retirement of several 737-700NG aircraft later this year,” WestJet said in a statement to Airways. “We expect to fully retire our 737-700NGs over the next couple of years and, at this time, have no plans to pursue retrofit activities or install WestJet Wi-Fi presented by TELUS. However, we are taking a flexible approach to this process, and we will continue to evaluate options as market conditions evolve.”

Coats of Paint

Since the former Sunwing and Swoop jets entered WestJet's mainline fleet, passenger confusion has been common. Seeing an aircraft that does not bear the same logo as the one on a boarding pass can cause a stir. WestJet said Tuesday that all former Swoop and Sunwing aircraft will be repainted by the end of the year.

Progress is already visible. All former Swoop 737-800s have been repainted in standard WestJet colors. Four 737-8s are either in progress or complete, including the new Toronto Blue Jays livery introduced in June, leaving just two 737-8s flying in Swoop pink.

Three of the 18 former Sunwing aircraft—two 737-800s and one 737-8—have also received new paint. Overall, 17 of the 34 former Swoop and Sunwing aircraft have been repainted or are in progress: exactly half.