Sunwing pilots urge WestJet Group to keep YQB base open

Sunwing Airlines pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, (ALPA), as well as flight attendants, gathered inside Quebec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB) on Monday (March 17) to call on WestJet Airlines to reverse its decision to close its YQB base, citing the severe economic and cultural impact it will have on the community.

In 2022, the WestJet Group announced a deal to buy Sunwing Airlines and Sunwing Vacations. The acquisition closed in May 2023.

WestJet subsequently announced operational changes as part of the acquisition, including the closure of the YQB base, with the pilots being transferred to Montreal.

“WestJet purchased Sunwing with the intention of expanding services in eastern Canada and increasing vacation offerings from regional hubs,” said Capt. Mark Taylor, chair of the Sunwing ALPA Master Executive Council, in a press release. “Closing or relocating the YQB base undermines this corporate strategy and the company’s own stated goals. WestJet must understand the economic impact closing this base will have throughout the Québec City region.”

Sunwing has had a base at YQB for 18 years. In recent years, some 50 pilots and 80 flight attendants were based there.

READ MORE: Sunwing to close bases at Quebec, Ottawa & Halifax airports: report

The YQB base creates wealth in the region, supports local businesses, and contributes to Québec’s overall economic growth, the union says.

“Keeping the Québec City base open maintains a certain expectation of service level as Sunwing transitions to WestJet,” Taylor added. “Having local crews means quicker responses in cases of mechanical issues, crew illness, or staffing shortage problems, which is beneficial for the airline.”

No official date has been released for the closure, but WestJet has stated it will be in the spring of 2025.

According to previous reports, there are also plans to close bases in Ottawa and Halifax. 

The integration activities are not expected to impact the WestJet Group's network schedules, nor will crew base planning impact commercial flying schedules or service levels. 

"The WestJet Group will continue serving guests from coast-to-coast," a WestJet spokesperson told PAX last November.

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