The Canadian vacation expert, Sunwing Airlines' Pilot Coalition is calling on parent WestJet to reconsider the planned closure of Sunwing's base at Quebec City Jean-Resurge International Airport.
The Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) said on March 17 that closing the Sunwing base in Quebec City would cause “severe economic and cultural” impacts in the area.
“WestJet purchased Sunwing with the aim of expanding its services in eastern Canada and increasing vacation from regional hubs,” says Mark Taylor, chairman of the Sunwing Alpa Masters Executive Council. “Closing or relocating the YQB base will undermine this corporate strategy and the company's own stated goals.”
Taylor argues that abandoning a base in Quebec's capital would damage Westjet's reputation in French-speaking communities and reduce its ability to deal with operational uncertainty.
“With local crews, it means a quick response to cases of mechanical issues, crew illness, or understaffed issues. This is beneficial to the airline,” he says.
Westjet signed an agreement in May 2023 to acquire Sunwing and its Vacations Business, then closed the Sunwing base in Quebec City and presented plans to move evacuated pilots to Montreal.
According to the ALPA, there is no solid date for the base closure, but Westjet shows that the Quebec City front post base will stop operating someday this spring.
Westjet will not immediately respond to requests for comment on the City of Quebec's plans.
Calgary-based Westjet previously said it would like to complete operations for Sunwing's airline in April. At that point, we will complete the fleet of Sunwing's 11 Boeing 737 with its own operational certificate.
This process was “at least” six months late to train the units of measurement used in the Sunwing pilots and the Sunwing cockpits.
Meanwhile, Westjet and Sunwing continue to operate as separate airlines, with Sunwing flying primarily Canadian passengers south to their Caribbean destinations.
