Swoop names its first airplane the #Hamilton, then paints it purple

Swoop has officially christened its first plane the #Hamilton in honour of another first, the carrier's airbase at the city's John C. Munro International Airport.

The low-cost WestJet carrier shared a time-lapse video of the craft getting done up in the airline's magenta livery on Wednesday.

The company plans to name its first four aircraft after "people and places" that played a role in its launch, according to a media release — a naming contest could also be held later this year.

"The delivery of our first aircraft is yet another exciting milestone as we begin the final countdown to Swoop's operational launch," said Steven Greenway, Swoop President and CEO. "The phenomenal team at Swoop has been working tirelessly towards our first flights and everything is "GO" for Swoop to take to the skies on June 20."

The Boeing 737-800NG has 189 seats and boasts an interior with "pop of colour accents" on the headrests.

• Swoop is already adding more flights between Hamilton and other Canadian cities

Customers will pay for a seat and one personal item. It costs more to check bags, watch movies, use Wi-Fi and have more leg room. Those extras cost about twice as much they do on regular WestJet flights.

In March, Swoop announced it was adding 13 weekly flights out of Hamilton during the Summer season, on top of the 24 that had originally been announced the month before. Those additional flights nearly doubled the number being offered from Hamilton to Edmonton and Hamilton to Abbotsford, B.C. along with daily service to Halifax and Winnipeg.