The airline holds a seven-star safety rating from AirlineRatings.com and current IOSA certification.
It has had no fatal passenger accidents since it started flying in 1996.
- WestJet holds a 7/7 (seven-star) safety rating from AirlineRatings.com and current IOSA registration.
- No fatal passenger accidents in WestJet’s history since it began operating in 1996.
- WestJet ranked No. 23 on AirlineRatings’ 2026 World’s Safest Low-Cost Airlines list, down from No. 16 in 2025, but the site itself cautions that small ranking gaps are not meaningful safety differences.
- WestJet’s combined fleet averages around 11 years old, younger than the roughly 15-year global commercial fleet average.
- On a live Calgary–Los Angeles fare check, WestJet’s nonstop fare beat every connecting alternative except Air Canada’s slower one-stop option.
WestJet’s safety rating and regulatory oversight
WestJet is regulated by Transport Canada, the national civil aviation authority responsible for certifying and overseeing every airline based in Canada. Under the FAA’s International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program, Canada holds a Category 1 rating, meaning US regulators have determined that Transport Canada’s oversight meets ICAO’s safety standards.
WestJet also carries current registration in the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) program. IOSA re-audits an airline’s operational management and safety systems every two years to keep that registration active.
IATA’s 2025 Safety Report found IOSA-registered carriers posted an accident rate of 0.98 per million sectors flown in 2025, versus 2.55 for non-registered airlines.
AirlineRatings.com, an independent safety-rating site, gives WestJet its top 7/7 star rating. That score is built from IOSA accreditation, pilot-related incident history, operating-safety concerns, EU restricted-airline-list status, and fatal-accident history.
WestJet’s 2026 safety ranking
AirlineRatings publishes a separate annual ranking of the world’s safest low-cost carriers, based on incident rates, fleet age, audits, and training records. WestJet placed No. 23 out of 25 carriers on the 2026 list, down from No. 16 the year before.
AirlineRatings itself warns against reading too much into small ranking shifts. Its 2026 report states that gaps between closely ranked airlines are minor, and that treating them as proof one carrier is meaningfully safer than another is misleading.
The 2026 top five low-cost carriers were HK Express, Jetstar Airways, Scoot, flydubai, and easyJet. For the full ranked list and methodology, see Wego’s Safest Airlines in the World 2026 guide.
WestJet’s accident and incident record
WestJet has never had a fatal passenger accident since starting operations in 1996. Its recent incident history involves non-fatal operational events, each investigated by Canada’s Transportation Safety Board.
- February 2023: A WestJet Boeing 737 clipped runway edge lights on takeoff from Las Vegas after lining up off-centre in the dark. The flight continued safely to Edmonton with no injuries.
- September 2025: A WestJet Boeing 737-800 suffered a right main landing gear collapse on landing in Sint Maarten, carrying 157 passengers and 6 crew. All 163 people evacuated via the emergency slides, and Canada’s Transportation Safety Board recorded one minor injury during the evacuation.
The 2023 Las Vegas event was a runway-alignment lapse rather than an aircraft fault.
The Sint Maarten investigation found something different: the TSB ruled out a hard landing and instead traced the gear collapse to a fractured trunnion pin on gear last overhauled in 2016, and it is now reviewing similar trunnion-pin fractures on other Boeing 737s.
WestJet’s AirlineRatings score has remained at 7/7 through both events, as of this writing.
How old is WestJet’s fleet?
WestJet’s combined mainline and regional fleet averages about 11 years old as of mid-2026. That is notably younger than the roughly 15-year global commercial fleet average that IATA now reports, the oldest industry-wide figure on record.
The mainline fleet is made up of Boeing 737-700s, 737-800s, and 737 MAX 8s, plus Boeing 787-9s on long-haul routes. Regional carrier WestJet Encore flies De Havilland Q400 turboprops on shorter domestic hops.
WestJet fares vs. other ranked carriers — a live check
Safety context matters most when you are actually choosing between airlines on a route. Calgary to Los Angeles was WestJet’s busiest international route by seat volume in 2025, so Wego ran a live one-way search for that pair to see how WestJet’s price stacks up.
Searching Calgary to Los Angeles for Friday, 25 September 2026, one adult in economy, returned these total fares on Wego at the time of writing:
- WestJet: US$155, direct, 3h 25m.
- Air Canada: US$141, but with one stop and an 11h 25m total journey.
- Frontier Airlines: US$165, connecting.
- United Airlines: US$216, connecting.
- Alaska Airlines: US$227, connecting.
WestJet’s nonstop fare beat every connecting alternative except Air Canada’s one-stop fare, which takes about eight hours longer. For a traveler weighing price against a seven-star-rated carrier’s nonstop convenience, WestJet was the strongest value on this route on the day of this search.
Compare current fares for this route, or search your own dates, directly on Wego’s flights to Los Angeles page, setting Calgary as your starting point.
Is WestJet safe to book in 2026?
Based on the current record, WestJet is a safe airline by every standard measure travelers use to judge one. It holds top-tier audit certification, operates under an FAA IASA Category 1 regulator, and has no fatal accidents in its history.
Its 2026 ranking slip is worth knowing about, but it reflects a close-margin list, not a new safety concern. Book based on price, schedule, and route fit, the same way you would with any other seven-star-rated carrier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is WestJet safe to fly in 2026?
Yes. WestJet holds a seven-star safety rating from AirlineRatings.com, current IOSA certification, and no fatal passenger accidents since operations began in 1996.
Has WestJet ever had a fatal accident?
No. WestJet has recorded no fatal passenger accidents since it started flying in 1996. Its 2023 runway excursion caused no injuries, and its 2025 landing gear collapse in Sint Maarten caused one minor injury during evacuation.
Why did WestJet’s AirlineRatings ranking drop from No. 16 to No. 23?
AirlineRatings recalculates its low-cost safety ranking every year using incident rates, fleet age, and audit data. The site itself says the point gaps between closely ranked airlines are small, so a shift like this reflects methodology, not a new safety problem at WestJet.
Is WestJet IOSA certified?
Yes. WestJet holds current registration in the IATA Operational Safety Audit program, which re-audits an airline’s operational and safety management systems every two years.
How old is WestJet’s fleet?
WestJet’s combined fleet averages around 11 years old, younger than the roughly 15-year global commercial aircraft fleet average reported by IATA in 2026.
The bottom line
WestJet meets every standard safety benchmark travelers typically check: top-tier certification, an FAA IASA Category 1 regulator, and a fatality-free record since 1996. Its 2026 ranking dip is real but small, and AirlineRatings itself says not to read too much into it.
If Calgary to Los Angeles or another WestJet transborder route is on your list, compare live fares and schedules on Wego before you book.
Sources
- AirlineRatings.com — World’s Safest Airlines for 2026
- AirlineRatings.com — WestJet Safety Ratings
- AirlineRatings.com — How Our Airline Safety Ratings Work
- PAX News — Two Canadian carriers make “world’s safest airlines” list
- Time Out — The world’s safest airlines have been named for 2025
- International Aviation Safety Assessment Program — FAA Category 1/2 definitions and Canada’s rating
- IATA — IOSA Program Manual (IPM) Edition 17 (24-month registration validity)
- IATA — IATA Releases 2025 Safety Report
- Transportation Safety Board of Canada — Report A23F0062 (February 2023 runway excursion)
- Transportation Safety Board of Canada — Report A25F0337 (September 2025 landing gear collapse, Sint Maarten)
- Simple Flying — WestJet fleet size, composition, and average age (2026)
- Aerospace Global News — IATA: global fleet average age reaches record high
- Aviation A2Z — Top 20 Busiest International Routes of WestJet in 2025
Disclaimer: We’ve worked hard to make sure the information in this article is as accurate and up to date as possible at the time of publishing. Travel details such as prices, schedules, visa rules, and entry requirements can change at short notice, so it remains your responsibility to verify the current details with official sources before you book or travel. Wego accepts no liability for any loss or inconvenience arising from the use of this content.
