Air Canada too dominant in the East for WestJet to compete, experts say
BNN Bloomberg
Industry watchers expect WestJet to remove routes from the Toronto-Montreal-Ottawa triangle as part of the Calgary-based airline's new strategy to focus future growth on Western Canada.
But far from being a downsizing, experts say WestJet's latest move is actually a "growth story" that will see the Calgary-based airline bulk up its fleet and add service to more communities across the West.
On Thursday, the WestJet Group -- which is owned by Onex Corp. -- announced a plan to shift its resources in the wake of a strategic review of the company's operations.
Chief executive Alexis von Hoensbroech, a former Austrian Airlines CEO who assumed the helm at WestJet in February, said the airline is at a turning point as it grapples with pent-up travel demand in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, spiking oil prices and staffing shortages at airports.
