Diederik Pen, WestJet Airlines president & Group COO, to retire

WestJet has announced the planned retirement of  WestJet Group Executive Vice-President, Chief Operating Officer (COO) and President of WestJet Airlines Diederik Pen.

In a press release, the company said timing is dependent on onboarding his successor, but is anticipated for the first quarter of 2027, at the latest.

Until then, Pen will stay fully in charge of overseeing the airline and leading operations teams.

A global search for his successor is underway and Diederik is actively involved in the search.

“I respect Diederik’s decision to retire for personal reasons; WestJetters, including myself, will miss his abundance of care, energy and leadership. As a highly respected and trusted member of our executive team, I am appreciative of Diederik’s contributions to date and have full trust in his unwavering dedication to his role through the remainder of his tenure,” said  Alexis von Hoensbroech, the WestJet Group’s CEO, in a statement.

“Among his many accomplishments over the past five years, Diederik has been central in safety and delivering operational improvements that have allowed us to scale our network and improve our reliability. I look forward to continuing to work together until his retirement.” 

Pen joined WestJet, from Wizz Air, in late 2021 leading operations through a period of recovery and supporting the safe restart and scaling of the airline as post-COVID demand returned.

He has negotiated several high-impact contracts with labour partners, and has led major operational transitions and transformation, including the successful integration of Swoop and Sunwing Airlines.

He has also been pivotal in strengthening relationships across the industry, both as the accountable executive with Transport Canada and through his people leadership, the company said.

"My time at WestJet has been among the most fulfilling of my career,” stated Pen. “Nearing three decades of aviation experience, I have had the good fortune of working with remarkable aviation professionals across multiple continents. It’s been a unique last five years navigating challenges unlike any the industry has seen.”

“I am grateful to have done so alongside our extraordinary, dedicated and resilient team of WestJetters and it is deeply personal to me to ensure this team is set up for future, sustainable success.”  

Pen intends to take some time with his family and to continue to pursue his interest in social impact efforts through his Board involvement with LiveDifferent. 

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