Shortly after saying its intention to combine the ultra-low-cost service Swoop, we’ve realized that WestJet additionally has plans to totally combine Sunwing Airways into its mainline operations. Whereas no official bulletins have been made by both aspect, different shops have confirmed the small print immediately with WestJet and Sunwing Airways.

Whereas the timeline for this integration is just not but identified, the tip result’s that Canada could have one much less separate airline sooner or later sooner or later.

WestJet to Totally Combine Sunwing Airways

Earlier this 12 months, WestJet Group accomplished its acquisition of Sunwing Airways. On the time, it appeared that the 2 airways deliberate to function individually; nonetheless, that’s set to alter within the coming years.

As first reported by ch-aviation and later confirmed by PAX, WestJet finally plans to totally combine Sunwing Airways into its mainline operations. 

Simply final week, WestJet additionally confirmed that it’s going to combine its ultra-low-cost subsidiary Swoop into its mainline fleet by the tip of October 2023. At current, there’s no confirmed timeline for the Sunwing integration; nonetheless, it’s anticipated to take as much as a few years.

As soon as this occurs, there’ll not be separate entities for WestJet, Swoop, and Sunwing; quite, all three will function underneath the WestJet model underneath a single air operator certificates. 

PAX has additionally reported that WestJet will finally reconfigure the Swoop and Sunwing plane to carry them in step with what WestJet at the moment affords on most of its plane.

The reconfigured plane will add as much as 13 extra seats than are at the moment out there in financial system. The cabin would additionally supply 12 Premium seats on the entrance of the cabin, in addition to a handful of seats with additional legroom scattered all through the financial system cabin.

It’s value noting that neither WestJet nor Sunwing have but to make official bulletins in regards to the integration or reconfiguration; nonetheless, now that it has been confirmed, it’s possible that we’ll be taught extra within the close to future.

Integration Should Respect Acquisition Situations 

As a part of approving the WestJet Group’s acquisition of Sunwing Airways and Sunwing Holidays, the Authorities of Canada positioned a variety of situations on the merger, that are as follows:

• Extending Sunwing trip package deal choices to 5 new Canadian cities
• Sustaining capability on routes most affected by the merger
• Growing regional connectivity
• Bettering baggage dealing with for higher passenger expertise
• Sustaining a holidays enterprise head workplace within the Toronto space and a regional workplace within the Montreal space for no less than 5 years
• Growing web employment by 20 per cent over three years within the Toronto workplace
• Making certain higher passenger expertise by investing in IT know-how options to enhance Sunwing’s communications
• Supplying airfare knowledge on trip packages for monitoring of post-acquisition worth developments
• Progressively ending Sunwing’s seasonal leasing follow to guard Canadian jobs

As we now know, WestJet plans to combine Sunwing Airways into its mainline operations; nonetheless, it seems that Sunwing Holidays will proceed to stay a separate model. 

Certainly, 4 of the above situations make direct reference to Sunwing’s trip tour operator arm, together with having to take care of places of work in Toronto and Montreal for no less than 5 years. 

It’s not clear if the mixing will go in opposition to any of the opposite phrases, however WestJet will definitely must be aware of them because it plans for the mixing within the coming years.

Conclusion

Numerous stories have surfaced that WestJet will combine Sunwing Airways into its mainline operations sooner or later within the subsequent couple of years. This information comes recent within the wake of WestJet confirming that it’s going to totally combine Swoop into its mainline operations by the tip of October 2023.

Moreover, there are additionally stories that WestJet plans to reconfigure the Swoop and Sunwing plane to have a streamlined cabin all through its fleet. 

Whereas neither WestJet nor Sunwing Airways has but to make an official announcement in regards to the integration, varied sources have confirmed particulars with the airways, and it’s anticipated that extra data will grow to be out there within the close to future.