Discount carrier Swoop will soon be no more as parent company WestJet begins the process of absorbing its operations.
WestJet says the integration of Swoop into its “mainline” operations will be completed by the end of October. All current Swoop staff are expected to make the transition over to WestJet. The airline will continue to operate Swoop’s existing network until Oct. 28, though has not given any indication as to how Swoop routes will be impacted past that date.
The move was announced Friday afternoon alongside the ratification of WestJet’s collective bargaining agreement with the Air Line Pilots Association. The merger was negotiated as part of the collective agreement. In its own statement, the union said the new deal “will go a long way to solve many of the airline’s labour issues” as well as “help solve many of WestJet’s pilot attraction and retention issues.” The eleventh-hour deal was first agreed upon earlier this month, helping to avoid a strike that threatened to ground all WestJet flights.
Swoop launched in 2018, part of a wave of new discount carriers that primarily aimed to offer an affordable option for cross-Canada travel. Much of its recent marketing has been focused on putting creative spins on getting people cheaper flights, including merch that doubles as a plane ticket.
The merger also comes after WestJet completed its acquisition of leisure airline Sunwing at the beginning of May.
Featured image by Shawn Talbot Photography.
