WestJet closes SunWing deal, expanding its footprint in eastern Canada

WestJet Airlines Ltd. has completed its acquisition of Sunwing Vacations and Sunwing Airlines, the company announced May 1, nearly two months after the federal government gave the takeover the green light.

The transaction, first announced in March last year, gives Calgary-based WestJet an expanded presence in the east, where Sunwing is headquartered.

The airlines said they will initially continue as independent operations before the two entities combine.

“It brings me great pleasure to welcome Sunwing to the group, adding 18 Boeing 737s, 2,000 employees and Canada’s largest vacation tour operator and significantly expanding our footprint in Eastern Canada,” WestJet Group chief executive Alexis von Hoensbroech said in a press release.

Sunwing chief executive Stephen Hunter will join WestJet as its vacations business CEO, responsible for all tour operating and vacation package businesses of both the Sunwing Vacations and WestJet Vacations brands, the company said.