FILE PHOTO: A 737 nose cone is pictured during a presentation by WestJet celebrating Canada's first ultra low cost airline, Swoop, at John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, June 19, 2018. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File Photo

By Allison Lampert

(Reuters) -WestJet Airlines remains on track to take its first 737 MAX 10 jet by the end of 2026, following progress by Boeing in bringing the plane to market, as the Canadian carrier also adds new routes to South America and Europe, its CEO said on Tuesday.

Calgary-based WestJet, which operates Boeing 737 and 787 jets, will be among the first airlines to take delivery of the MAX 10, after the long-delayed, larger 737 jet is certified by U.S. regulators.

Boeing expects both the 737 MAX 7 and MAX 10 will be certified in 2026. The planemaker said it has made progress on a fix related to an issue with the jets' engine anti-ice system that could lead to it overheating and potentially causing an engine failure.

"We are pretty confident that this is moving forwards and that's what we also hear from Boeing," WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech told Reuters. "At this point in time, the delivery schedule foresees that we will receive our first MAX 10 in Q4 2026. So we hope it happens."

While the MAX 10 would eventually become the carrier's main aircraft type, von Hoensbroech said WestJet could switch models to smaller MAX 8s, if certification and aircraft deliveries are delayed further.

Canada's second largest carrier has also been shifting capacity on leisure routes away from the United States, as demand drops due to trade tensions.

WestJet on Tuesday added international seasonal routes from Toronto and Halifax, including a flight to Medellin, Colombia, its first non-stop destination in South America.

Though the number of returning Canadian-resident trips from overseas countries by air increased 3.9% in September 2025, on an annual basis, the number of returning Canadian-resident trips by air from the United States declined 27.1% during the same period, according to data from Statistics Canada.

"At this point in time we just see that Canadians vote with their feet and avoid the U.S. if they can," he said.

(Reporting By Allison Lampert in Montreal, Editing by Nick Zieminski)