Following negative customer feedback regarding in-seat comfort, WestJet has announced it has halted work to increase cabin density on its Boeing 737-800 and MAX 8 aircraft fleets, and will revert to previous seat configurations on those aircraft it has already converted.
The affected aircraft will be returned to their previous, more generous standard economy-class seat pitch. The additional legroom (pitch will be 30 inches vs 28 inches) will be created by removing one row of seats, reducing cabin capacity from 180 seats to 174 seats.
The Canadian airline had paused its reconfiguration programme in December and initially planned to complete its evaluation of the new cabin interior layout by mid-February. However, the airline has now accelerated the review process to address customer concerns about the 28-inch pitch.
“WestJet tried seat pitches that are popular with many airlines around the globe as they serve to provide affordable airfares,” said Alexis von Hoensbroech, group chief executive officer at WestJet. “As an entrepreneurial airline founded on making air travel affordable to Canadians, it’s in our DNA to try new products. At the same time, it is just as important to react quickly if they don’t meet the needs of our guests.”
“WestJet was founded as an airline centred on guests,” Mr von Hoensbroech added. “It is in this spirit that we will take what we’ve learned and continue to be cost-disciplined and innovative, while staying true to what our guests and our people expect from us.”
The airline is currently demonstrating to aviation authorities that the reconfigured cabins meet certification requirements. Once certification is received, WestJet will begin converting all 180-seat aircraft to the 174-seat configuration, though completion timelines have not yet been finalised.
