Maritime airports are unsure of what, exactly, a merger between three airlines could mean for their traffic and operations for next year.
WestJet officially announced Monday that Sunwing would merge into its main operations under the WestJet banner. It comes as last week, WestJet announced it would fold Swoop into its main business by late October as the country’s second-biggest airline recalibrates amid a fiercely competitive market.
The company noted in a release on Monday that it would bring “affordable travel to a broader spectrum of guests and communities across Canada.”
Both moves magnify the major consolidation of the Canadian aviation market that followed WestJet’s acquisition of Sunwing’s main airline and vacation divisions last month.
In an email statement to Global News, WestJet couldn’t confirm whether or not it would continue its routes from Atlantic Canada to other destinations that Swoop and Sunwing served when the transition is complete.
“Our immediate focus remains on the integration of Swoop’s highly successful business model across WestJet’s operations,” wrote Spokesperson Julia Kaiser in an email.
“To provide further clarity, Sunwing Vacations will continue to operate as part of the WestJet Group and will not be impacted by the airline integration.”
Sunwing currently lands at Fredericton International Airport and Greater Moncton Roméo LeBlanc International Airport. The low-cost sun carrier put its wheels up on Saint John during the COVID-19 pandemic and hasn’t returned since, despite it being listed as a destination on their site.
The Saint John airport confirmed to Global News that they are in talks with the carrier but are unsure if or when the airline could return.
A sense of uncertainty was also felt by the Greater Moncton Roméo LeBlanc International Airport, who said it’s simply too difficult to tell on the future of WestJet traffic.
Susy Campos told Global News on Monday that the airport relies heavily on Sunwing’s service to warm destinations in the winter, adding that they haven’t heard yet on its plans for future service.
“It would be a big loss for us in that sense because the flights are quite full in the wintertime,” told Campos, the airport’s Director of Commercial Development.
“We’re following this closely and keeping in communication with WestJet.”
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Representatives from the Halifax Stanfield International Airport said that they were unsure of how the merger could impact their flight schedule, but when asked, John Gradek, a faculty lecturer at McGill University in aviation and supply management, said that he wouldn’t expect to see routes from Swoop to exist past October.
“WestJet has been very inequitable in saying we are a Western Canadian operation,” said Gradek.
“They are not looking into much of an expansion into the Maritimes as they’ve had in previous years.”
He said WestJet’s focus doesn’t align with Swoop’s original flight path, which included service to Toronto and Hamilton, Ont.
Swoop also launched a service in Saint John and Moncton. Service was axed in the Port City shortly after, with Moncton service being the only New Brunswick to Ontario route among WestJet or Swoop.
Gradek told Global News that Maritime airports could make a case for a few planes to deliver service in and out of the three provinces after the merger.
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