WestJet CEO is livid

[airway]

https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/westjet-ceo- ... -1.5306573

https://blog.westjet.com/flyer-beware-c ... mpetition/

For the relatively low cost of $190 million (essentially the cost of a single wide body aircraft like WestJet’s 787 Dreamliner), years of effort to foster true competition has been undone. This is akin to telecommunications giants Bell and Rogers becoming one without significant concessions.

As a result of this decision, Air Canada will hold:

A combined 94 per cent share of Canadian carrier capacity to Europe.
An almost 70 per cent market share on routes from Toronto to London, Paris and Rome.
A more than 90 per cent share in key leisure markets like Toronto to Athens or Glasgow, while from Montreal to Barcelona or Venice, Air Canada will be the only Canadian airline on those routes.
For sun markets in winter, Air Canada will have half of the market share from Toronto to Cancun and 56 per cent to Punta Cana.
Overall, Air Canada’s share of sun destinations from Toronto will rise to 54 per cent while WestJet would hold 19 per cent.

Does anyone have the skills to fact check these statements? I am not on either side of this BTW.



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[rookiepilot]

WJ's CEO should quit whining to the media, and run his own company, much better. No one cares.

Long AC....great deal they made.

[ayseven]

Sounds upset he didn't think of it first.

[FL030]

I don't understand the mindset of complaining like this publicly. Does he think the government is going to go back and change their mind? It just makes you and your company look even weaker.

[montado]

ONEX has deep pockets, make a better offer.

[dhc#]

Would be kinda funny if its revealed to be ONEX, behind the unsolicited bids for Chorus and Sunwing.

[800man]

Didn't he read the conditions opening up the Trans-Atlantic slot market to anyone who asks for 5 years?
Assuming he obviously did, it renders his argument about a monopoly completely void, and he's just mad. He's doing his job, that's all.

[Longtimer]

It seems just like yesterday when WestJet came into the world of low cost. If the AC deal with AirTransat will increase the cost of fares, surely WestJet can Swoop to the rescue by offering cheaper fares and at the same time increase their ridership.

[tsgarp]

A Quebec based government headed by a Quebec based Prime Minister that has a hate on for Alberta allows two government backed Quebec based airlines to set the conditions to crush a private Alberta airline. Just business as usual in Canada.

[TT1900]

A Quebec based government headed by a Quebec based Prime Minister that has a hate on for Alberta allows two government backed Quebec based airlines to set the conditions to crush a private Alberta airline. Just business as usual in Canada.

Last I checked the government hadn't backed any airlines. Isn't that the common complaint these days?

[rookiepilot]

A Quebec based government headed by a Quebec based Prime Minister that has a hate on for Alberta allows two government backed Quebec based airlines to set the conditions to crush a private Alberta airline. Just business as usual in Canada.

Did WJ even bid for AT? Musta missed that

[Curiousflyer]

There’s over 100 routes that AC will be subject to give away to anyone who wants them for the next 10 years.
This is a great deal for WestJet, slots available anywhere they want. They just gotta buy them.

[rookiepilot]

There’s over 100 routes that AC will be subject to give away to anyone who wants them for the next 10 years.
This is a great deal for WestJet, slots available anywhere they want. They just gotta buy them.

So why is the CEO whining?

Because they suck in execution as an airline, and it's a nice distraction to blame something else?

I really dislike CEO whining. Do Your Job!

It's uncool on this site for airline passengers who run to the media.

It's 100X as offensive for a CEO and it's a total red flag as an investor. Take responsibility for your company.

[Panama Jack]

I understand that aeropolitics is a game and this is part of the act, but I doubt whether Canadian consumers really care. In any case, it isn't like Canadian carriers are the only airlines plying the international traffic market to/from Canada. But as I said, it's a game and so I understand what he is trying to do here.

[Curiousflyer]

There’s over 100 routes that AC will be subject to give away to anyone who wants them for the next 10 years.
This is a great deal for WestJet, slots available anywhere they want. They just gotta buy them.

So why is the CEO whining?

Because they suck in execution as an airline, and it's a nice distraction to blame something else?

I really dislike CEO whining. Do Your Job!

It's uncool on this site for airline passengers who run to the media.

It's 100X as offensive for a CEO and it's a total red flag as an investor. Take responsibility for your company.

Likely political,
Also the EU still has not approved and there could be even more routes on the chopping block.

Edited to add: WestJet is a private company and can say whatever the @#$! they want with no investor recourse.

[rookiepilot]

There’s over 100 routes that AC will be subject to give away to anyone who wants them for the next 10 years.
This is a great deal for WestJet, slots available anywhere they want. They just gotta buy them.

So why is the CEO whining?

Because they suck in execution as an airline, and it's a nice distraction to blame something else?

I really dislike CEO whining. Do Your Job!

It's uncool on this site for airline passengers who run to the media.

It's 100X as offensive for a CEO and it's a total red flag as an investor. Take responsibility for your company.

Likely political,
Also the EU still has not approved and there could be even more routes on the chopping block.

Edited to add: WestJet is a private company and can say whatever the @#$! they want with no investor recourse.

Forgot. Onex, yes. Still.......

[Gino Under]

Westjet is no longer an LCC and hasn’t been for some time. If anything, they’re practically a second national carrier with comparable pricing to Air Canada. But to be honest, that’s just my 40 plus years read on the industry. In fact WJ is probably a bit of this and a bit of that, which so far, has been successful for them. Kudos.
Has Sims been in Canada long enough to seriously suggest there’s no competition between Canadian airlines? I recall sitting at the gate in Halifax preflighting for a Toronto run. Who was leaving YHZ at approximately the same time (give or take) for YYZ?
Air Canada
Canadian<n
Canada 3000
Skyservice
Royal
Westjet
Jazz
Air Atlantic
We’ve watched numerous airlines in Canada fail over the last what, 35 plus years? Anyone with a few years in the Canadian aviation industry knows there’s no such thing as competition in this country. It would threaten the very existence of any competition.
Jetsgo was probably the only true LCC we’ve had in Canada and you know how that turned out.
Perhaps Mr. Sims should study the reality of airline competition in Canada before holding such press conferences.

Gino Under

[rookiepilot]

Westjet doesn't have a clue who they are in my view. Such a confused vision now from what was a very clear one that appealed to a lot of folks.