Just over five years since its introduction, Swoop celebrated its last day of flight operations as WestJet’s ‘ultra-low-cost’ subsidiary on October 28,
“Today marks the final day of operation for Swoop. It is a bittersweet moment for all of us, as we bid farewell to an incredible journey that you have been an integral part of. Your trust in us and your growing appetite for affordable air travel have been the bedrock fueling our cause and success for the past five years,” said Swoop president Bob Cummings.
Bob Cummings is returning to the WestJet Group as president of Swoop, the carrier he helped launch in 2018. (Photo Credit: WestJet)
“As we close this chapter at Swoop, we are incredibly excited for what’s to come, which, as you may know, is our merger into WestJet. While mixing magenta with teal technically ends up as purple, we know that in our case, the result will be more affordable flights to more communities across Canada.”
Over its five-year run, Swoop carried nearly seven million people on over 40,000 flights to 38 destinations across Canada, the U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean. “Here at Swoop, we pioneered ultra-low-cost air travel in Canada, and stimulated demand for travel that did not previously exist,” said Cummings.
Swoop staff Meghan Miller, Tia McGarth and Natasha Elias were strong promoters of the Swoop brand. (Photo Credit: Bruce Parkinson)
Swoop’s 16 Boeing 737s will be repainted and merged into the WestJet fleet. Swoop employees will also be integrated into the parent company. For Swoop pilots, this means a 24% pay hike over four years.
WestJet says it is not abandoning travellers on a tight budget.
WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech speaks to the Board of Trade in Toronto. (Photo Credit: John Kirk)
"This integration will enhance our ability to serve a broader spectrum of guests,” said WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech . “Instead of only 16 aircraft serving the ultra-low-cost market, each aircraft in our 180-strong fleet will offer ultra-affordable travel options through a premium inflight experience.”
WestJet will add seats to some of its aircraft to help maintain affordability. Six seats are being added to the line’s 737-800s and MAX 8 planes, and 13 seats will be added to the airline’s growing complement of MAX 10 aircraft
“We will not segment our guests by airline, but segment our guests within the aircraft,” von Hoensbroech said in a speech at the Toronto Board of Trade last week. “For a market like Canada, that makes most sense.”
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