WestJet

WestJet is Canada's second-largest airline, headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, operating a fleet centred on the Boeing 737, including the 737 MAX, alongside Boeing 787 Dreamliners on long-haul routes to Europe and Asia. Once a low-cost challenger, it has grown into a full network carrier with Calgary as its global hub, and it is not a member of a global alliance, partnering instead through codeshares and its Delta joint venture on transborder routes.

Flying for WestJet

WestJet hires direct-entry pilots for the 737 and 787 fleets and has run a cadet programme periodically in partnership with the training provider CAE, alongside pathway affiliations with Canadian flight colleges. In 2025 the airline signed a fifteen-year agreement with CAE to build a dedicated training centre in Calgary, opening in 2028 with full-flight simulators for its 737, 787 and De Havilland fleets and a linked pipeline with Mount Royal University's aviation programme, so structured entry routes are expected to expand with the fleet.

Selection involves computer-based aptitude and psychometric testing, behavioural and technical interviews, and simulator assessment, with WestJet placing strong emphasis on crew resource management and cultural fit. With rapid fleet growth compressing upgrade times, competition for each intake remains sharp, and candidates who have practised pilot aptitude and cognitive testing in advance consistently give the best account of themselves.