“He would do anything for you”: Travel pros mourn the loss of Duncan Bureau

This story was updated on Thursday, December 4, 2025. 

The travel industry is mourning the loss of Duncan Bureau, a veteran aviation and travel-technology sales executive, who passed away from a heart attack in Cancun. Mexico on Dec. 2. He was 58.

Flemming Friisdahl, founder of The Travel Agent Next Door (TTAND), was one of the first to respond to the news, sharing his reaction with PAX early Wednesday morning (Dec. 3) via email.

“Duncan was a great friend and a tremendous supporter of TTAND. I’ve known him for around 20 years, going back to our WestJet and Air Canada days. He was the kind of person who would do anything for you—always willing to help and ready to reach out to one of his many contacts to connect you with the right people.”

Friisdahl said he spoke to his longtime friend just recently.  

“I am deeply saddened for his daughter Megan and his family. I spoke with Duncan just last week, and his sudden passing is heartbreaking,” he said. “We will miss his energy, his passion, and his love for the travel industry. He made a lasting impact on all of us, and he will be truly missed.”

A career takes flight

Many in the travel industry came to know Bureau as a man of the skies.

But before his aviation career took flight, he began firmly on the ground—as a marketing analyst with Greyhound bus lines in Calgary, Alberta.

It marked his first step into the travel sector after earning a Bachelor of Management degree in accounting and finance.

Though Greyhound was best known for buses, an aviation connection soon emerged.

At the time, the company was launching its own airline, and Bureau was involved in developing the forecasts and helping shape the business plan—an early hint of the trajectory his career would soon follow.

Bureau, who was born in Roodeport, South Africa, went on to work in the travel industry for most of his life.

Over the years, he went on to hold leadership roles at Canadian Airlines, Air Miles, WestJet, Malaysia Airlines, Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge (where he was appointed president in 2018), Etihad and Canada Jetlines, where he briefly served as chief commercial officer.

Most recently, he was chief commercial officer at Farenexus Group, an IT consultancy and travel services company based in Montreal.

In a statement to PAX, Ravi Panwar, CEO of Farenexus Group, called Bureau "an integral part of the Farenexus family," as well as "a friend, colleague, and mentor whose passion for aviation and the travel industry was extraordinary."

"His energy, wisdom, and dedication inspired everyone around him," Panwar said. "His legacy will continue to guide and motivate us. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and all who had the privilege of knowing him.”

A devoted traveller

Travel captivated Bureau from a very early age.

In a 2022 interview with PAX, he recalled one of his earliest travel memories—flying to Scotland at age 10 with his sister as unaccompanied minors.

“We were so excited to fly by ourselves and I am sure that we consumed more coke (beverage) and chips than we have ever consumed in a seven-hour window,” Bureau said at the time.

“We flew on an Air Canada L1011, which is still, to this day, one of my favourite aircraft planes to travel on. I had already developed a love for aviation by that point, so this trip, for me, just confirmed that I wanted to be a part of this amazing idea of travel and flying.” 

"A man on a mission"

Sandra Wesson, director of product and industry relations at TDC, worked with Bureau 25 years ago at Air Miles. She was shocked to learn about his sudden passing. 

“He was a man on a mission,” Wesson told PAX. “He knew he would make his mark in the travel industry and he did. His practical jokes were legendary and his passion for sales could inspire anyone to buy what he was selling. He will be missed by many.”

Emmet Reidy worked with Bureau during his WestJet days. At the time, Reidy was director of national accounts for WestJet and WestJet Vacations

“We travelled WestJet’s world together with an amazing team Duncan pulled together. It was a small world when we started – less then 30 aircraft,” Reidy told PAX in an email.

Bureau proudly last told Reidy that when they began working together at WestJet, the airline held just eight percent of the market—but by the time they left, it had grown to nearly 40 percent.

“This was a direct result of developing the relationship with the travel agency community," said Reidy, who is now director of sales for TownePlace Suites, Edmonton South. "I believe this was Duncan’s great achievement and what he was most proud of during our time with WestJet." 

“May he rest in peace. He is now re-united with his dear brother Lawrence and his Dad.”

Saddened by the news, Madeleine Brydon, a portfolio manager at WestJet Vacations, called Bureau "a funny guy, a natural leader and someone who led with heart." 

"I am grateful for the times we shared. I'm keeping his family and friends in my prayers," she wrote in an email. 

Tim Scurry, founder and executive chairman of Travelkore, first met Bureau in 2012 as a corporate client of his at Air Canada. 

“He had a way about him that was truly unique, and he touched the lives of so many people,” Scurry said. “I was so sad to hear of his passing yesterday in Cancun. On a personal note, he was a young man and taken so soon and I shall miss my daily dose of his unique humour.”

“An aviation pioneer”

The news of Bureau’s passing has left “a deep void in our industry and in the hearts of all who knew him,” said Chippy Jegathesan, co-founder and group chief executive officer at Voyzant.

Jegathesan knew Bureau for nearly twenty years – “and over time he became far more than a partner or colleague, he became one of my closest industry friends.”

“Duncan was an aviation pioneer with a remarkable ability to see opportunity long before others did,” Jegathesan said. “He understood the business, but more importantly, he understood people. Whenever I needed sound industry advice, a perspective rooted in experience, or a connection that truly mattered, Duncan was one of the very few I trusted to call.”

What set Bureau apart was the generosity of his spirit, Jegathesan went on to say.

“He was a leader who lifted others, a mentor who never hesitated to guide, and a friend who always made time no matter how busy his world was,” he said. “His sense of humour was legendary, the kind that could disarm tension in a boardroom or create memories at industry gatherings.”

“Duncan’s name carried weight in aviation, but it was his humility and kindness that earned him the admiration of colleagues across airlines, consolidators, and agencies alike.”

“Duncan leaves behind a legacy of integrity, leadership, and genuine humanity. He will be remembered fondly as an industry icon, as someone who touched lives, opened doors, and made our industry better simply by being in it. His loss is felt deeply by all of us.”

Jeff Verman, CEO of Plus Travel Group, is also processing the loss of his friend. 

“I have many memories of Duncan – some not fit for print!” Verman wrote in an email. 

Duncan saw his friends as allies, he said.

“His first impression of me was that I was an asshole,” Verman said.” I had, in a room full of travel agency owners, questioned an agency commission cut he was imposing. I gave him no wiggle room. He wasn't happy at all with me.”

Yet somehow, the two would go on to be close friends – even dancing together in a video that once went viral.

“We saw many Raptors games together over the years,” Verman said.

That friendship didn’t stop Bureau from ever speaking his mind, once calling Verman, just as he was about to board an Air Canada flight – “to berate me over something my franchise head had, rather unwisely, sent him.”

“I had to hold the phone away from my ears!” Verman recalled.

Bureau lived the values he so often spoke about.

His personal motto, shared in that 2022 interview, was simple yet revealing: “Collect more stamps in your passport than objects for your shelf.”

It was a philosophy that guided both his life and career, reflecting a deep belief that experiences mattered more than possessions.

His idea of happiness was equally telling. For Bureau, joy was found in motion and shared discovery.

And those closest to him knew that while his public presence was extroverted and confident, there was a quieter side to him as well.

Bureau once described his “hidden talent” as convincing the world he was an extrovert.

In truth, he said, being outgoing required daily effort, a discipline he embraced in order to connect with others and build meaningful relationships.

What Verman remembers most about his friend was his dedication to cultural transformation at the companies he worked for.

“He viewed that transformation as a way of leading the company into the future,” Verman said.

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