What is WestJet?
Answer
Canada's second-largest airline, founded in Calgary in 1996, operating about 180 aircraft across the Boeing 737, 787 Dreamliner, and De Havilland Q400 fleet to serve domestic and international destinations.
Explanation
WestJet Airlines Ltd. is Canada's second-largest airline, headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. The company was founded by Clive Beddoe, David Neeleman, Mark Hill, and Tim Morgan in 1996, modelled on the low-cost carrier model pioneered by Southwest Airlines in the United States. WestJet's first flight took off on February 29, 1996, with three Boeing 737-200 aircraft serving Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Kelowna, and Winnipeg.
WestJet has expanded substantially since then, reaching profitability within its first year and listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange in 1999. The fleet has grown to about 180 aircraft, including Boeing 737NG and 737 MAX narrow-bodies for domestic and U.S. trans-border routes, Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners for long-haul international routes, and De Havilland Q400 turboprops operated by WestJet Encore for regional services. WestJet serves more than 100 destinations across Canada, the United States, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, Europe, and Asia.
Onex Corporation, the Toronto-based private-equity firm, acquired WestJet for $5 billion in 2019, taking the company private. Onex's ownership has come with significant transitions including the 2023 acquisition of Sunwing Airlines and Sunwing Vacations (giving WestJet the largest tour-operator business in Western Canada), the 2024 spin-off of regional Encore-Q400 operations to a separate subsidiary, and a return-to-leisure focus that has shifted some former mainline routes to WestJet Encore or Sunwing.
WestJet's distinctive culture has emphasised employee ownership (through profit-sharing) and customer-friendly fees compared to competitors. The company partners with Air France-KLM, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and others through interline agreements, and operates the WestJet Rewards loyalty programme. Federal foreign-ownership rules cap non-Canadian voting ownership of WestJet at 49 per cent. WestJet is a member of the National Airlines Council of Canada, regulated by the Canadian Transportation Agency, and subject to the Air Passenger Protection Regulations introduced in 2019.
Why this matters for your test
WestJet is the Canadian aviation alternative to Air Canada and a Calgary-based national carrier. Recognising the February 1996 first flight and the 2019 Onex private acquisition gives candidates two specific anchors.
Source: WestJet Annual Report; Transport Canada
