Key Takeaways
- WestJet adds new winter routes to Tulum and Grenada, enhancing its sun destination offerings.
- Sunwing integration delayed to April 2025 due to pilot training and cockpit unit differences.
- Separate operations for WestJet and Sunwing continue through the winter 2024/2025 season.
WestJet announced major expansion to its leisure travel network on Tuesday, adding new routes to Tulum, Mexico and the Caribbean island of Grenada for the winter 2024/2025 season.
The new services cement WestJet’s position as Canada’s top airline for sun destination travel. “We will provide more seat capacity than any other airline to sun destinations this winter,” said John Weatherill, WestJet Group Chief Commercial Officer.
Beginning November 9, WestJet will launch weekly flights from Calgary and 3x weekly from Toronto to Tulum’s newly opened international airport. This complements WestJet’s existing extensive presence in Mexico’s Riviera Maya region. The airline’s vacation subsidiary will offer packages at 35 major Tulum-area resorts.
Kelowna and Winnipeg also get new Mexico service, with weekly Kelowna-Mazatlan and Winnipeg-Los Cabos routes starting in mid-December.
In the Caribbean, WestJet is inaugurating weekly Toronto-Grenada flights on November 3, pending government approval. “We’re thrilled to partner with WestJet in welcoming travellers to discover Grenada’s charm and hospitality,” said Petra Roach, CEO of the Grenada Tourism Authority.
On the transborder front, WestJet adds new seasonal Vancouver-Fort Lauderdale and Winnipeg-Fort Lauderdale weekly flights this winter. Several U.S. routes are also being upgraded to year-round service, including Edmonton-Atlanta, Regina-Minneapolis, and multiple Canadian routes serving Delta Air Lines’ hubs.
“WestJet continues to invest in building the connectivity our community needs to thrive,” said Nick Hays, CEO of Winnipeg Airports Authority, referencing the new Fort Lauderdale, FL. link.
The expanded winter schedule allows WestJet to leverage its large Boeing 737 fleet and demonstrates the airline’s laser focus on the Canadian leisure travel market.
Sunwing Integration Delays
WestJet Airlines is delaying the integration of Sunwing Airlines until April 27, 2025, six months later than initially planned. The delay is due to pilot training challenges and differences in cockpit measurement units used by the two airlines. Both WestJet and Sunwing will maintain separate operations for the upcoming winter flight schedules.
The extended timeline means pilots will not be able to operate each other’s aircraft for nearly a year, compounding ongoing industry-wide pilot shortages. Worker seniority issues for pilots also remain unresolved between the two carriers, according to aviation expert John Gradek, as reported by The Canadian Press.
WestJet acquired Sunwing in May 2023 and had planned to integrate Sunwing Airlines into its mainline business while continuing Sunwing’s vacation packages as part of the broader WestJet group.
