WestJet affirms a National Aviation Strategy key to Canada's aviation future

“Air travel in Canada is a necessity, a National Aviation Strategy is key to ensuring Canadians are able to stay connected,” says von Hoensbroech. 

Joining a panel of Canadian airline leaders moderated by former federal transport minister Lisa Raitt, von Hoensbroech discussed Canada's National Aviation Strategy, labour stability and the key challenges shaping the country's aviation industry.

Building a more affordable and competitive aviation sector 

Aviation has faced a demanding global operating environment this year. Transborder demand has slowed, the Cuban leisure market has closed, and geopolitical tensions have caused jet fuel costs to double. As fuel is an airline's single largest expense, these swings have a significant impact. 

“WestJet has adapted through operational discipline and commercial decisions,” says von Hoensbroech. “The recent fuel price developments form a significant challenge, as this continues to be a factor, we will need to recover the risen fuel costs through higher fares.” 

While airlines continue to navigate geopolitical and economic uncertainty, affordability remains a top concern for Canadian travellers. Canadians frequently ask why flying in Canada costs what it does, and it is a fair question. Canada currently ranks 101st out of 116 countries for travel and tourism price competitiveness.

Over the past three decades, airline base fares dropped by more than 50 per cent in real terms, while cost from government regulations and third-party fees, taxes, and airport charges doubled. 

“Even in strong years, global airlines operate on razor-thin margins of just a few dollars per passenger,” says von Hoensbroech. “We support the government’s review of fees, airport structures, and passenger regulations but this must translate into practical policies that lower user costs and protect connectivity.”

The discussion also explored consumer protection and the importance of ensuring regulations reflect the realities of operating in a vast country where air travel is often a necessity rather than a luxury.

“Guests deserve a transparent and fair system when disruptions occur,” says von Hoensbroech. “The current Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR) system is complex, costly and confusing, and doesn’t hold many critical providers in the aviation sector accountable. The industry needs a streamlined, faster, and more balanced system that protects passenger rights without imposing excessive administrative costs that ultimately get passed along to travellers.”

Alongside these discussions, panelists also examined the infrastructure and airport investment models that will shape the industry's long-term competitiveness.

“Any proposed model must pass a simple test: does it keep travel affordable, enhance Canada's competitiveness, and deliver a better journey for travellers?” says von Hoensbroech. “If restructuring unlocks capital value, it should stay in the aviation ecosystem—reinvested in modern airport infrastructure and lower travel costs, rather than extracted from the system.”

A clear message that the government needs to implement robust economic regulation on passenger fees and aeronautical charges to protect affordability before privatizing any airports was echoed by all panelists.  

Safeguarding travel reliability through labour stability

Beyond affordability and competitiveness, the panel also discussed another key ingredient of a reliable aviation system: labour stability.

“WestJet firmly supports collective bargaining; the best agreements are always reached at the negotiation table,” says von Hoensbroech. He also noted that air travel represents critical national infrastructure, even brief work stoppages create outsized harm for travellers, regional tourism, supply chains and local communities. 

WestJet supports measures in proposed legislation, including enhanced mediation and longer conciliation periods, while encouraging additional flexibility when negotiations are close to reaching an agreement. The labour disruption this summer is a clear example of how the current system falls short, needlessly impacting hundreds of thousands of travellers when WestJet was taken to strike for an agreement that was essentially already offered before the strike. 

“The priority must be to preserve collective bargaining rights while preventing avoidable travel disruptions,” von Hoensbroech adds. 

Building a better travel network together

As Canada's aviation sector continues to navigate economic, regulatory and geopolitical challenges, WestJet will continue advocating for policies that keep air travel affordable, reliable and accessible for Canadian travellers.