Sunwing Airlines acquisition by WestJet in public interest

The issuance of the order is an important milestone in the process toward closing the transaction between WestJet and Sunwing

The WestJet Group today issued a statement following the Government of Canada’s issuance of an order finding that the proposed acquisition of Sunwing Vacations and Sunwing Airlines is in the public interest, taking into account certain measures.

“We are pleased that the regulatory review of the transaction is now complete,” said Angela Avery, WestJet Group Executive Vice-President and Chief People, Corporate & Sustainability Officer.

“We thank the Minister of Transport and the Commissioner of Competition, and the staff of Transport Canada, the Competition Bureau, and the Canadian Transportation Agency, for their efforts to review the transaction.”

The issuance of the order is an important milestone in the process toward closing the transaction.

WestJet

In 27 years of serving Canadians, WestJet has cut airfares in half and increased the flying population in Canada to more than 50 per cent. WestJet launched in 1996 with three aircraft, 250 employees and five destinations, growing over the years to more than 180 aircraft, 14,000 employees and more than 100 destinations in 23 countries, pre-pandemic.

Since the start of the pandemic the WestJet Group of Companies has built a layered framework of safety measures to ensure Canadians can continue to travel safely and responsibly through the airline’s Safety Above All hygiene program. During this time, WestJet has maintained its status as one of the top-10 on-time airlines in North America.

Sunwing Airlines

Sunwing Airlines Inc. is a Canadian low-cost airline headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Sunwing Airlines offers scheduled and charter services from Canada and the United States to destinations within the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America in the winter months. During the summer months, the company offers domestic services across Canada.

Sunwing Airlines is a subsidiary of Sunwing Travel Group, and its main Canadian bases are Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport, and Vancouver International Airport.

The company also operates seasonal flight services from approximately 25 local Canadian gateways including Calgary International Airport, Edmonton International Airport, Halifax Stanfield International Airport, Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport, Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport, and Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport.