WestJet shutting down Sunwing Airlines brand.
WestJet group is planning to wind down low-cost carrier Sunwing Airlines and integrate it into its main business.
The Canadian Press was the first to report the news over the weekend, stating that it obtained an internal memo in which Len Corrado, president of Sunwing Airlines, made the announcement.
“While we can confirm the eventual integration of Sunwing Airlines into WestJet, the anticipated timeline to do so has not been determined at this time,” Julia Kaiser, spokesperson for WestJet, said in an email.
“Our immediate focus remains on the integration of Swoop’s highly successful business model across WestJet’s operations.”
WestJet is Canada’s second-largest airline, and in May, the company announced that it completed its much-awaited acquisition of Sunwing Airlines and Sunwing Vacations.
The deal was initially announced in March 2022 and was approved by the Canadian government in March 2023.
Once the integration is complete, all Sunwing employees will continue to have employment with Westjet.
The decision comes the week after WestJet opted to fold budget subsidiary Swoop’s operations under its flagship banner.
Analysts say the moves mean a slimmer range of choices for travellers.
“Consumers are going to get it in the left ear again,” said John Gradek, a lecturer at McGill University’s aviation management program. “It’s not good.”
He gave the example of a route between Toronto and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, currently flown by all three carriers – WestJet, Swoop and Sunwing.
“WestJet as an organization is not going to support three airplanes going from Toronto to Puerto Vallarta within an hour of each other. Not going to happen,” Gradek said.
The federal government approved WestJet’s takeover of Sunwing Vacations and Sunwing Airlines, despite a warning from the Competition Bureau that the purchase would likely result in higher prices and decreased services, especially around package deals.
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