Sunwing Airlines is gearing up for the winter season with significant operational enhancements aimed at providing a smoother travel experience and avoiding disruptions similar to those faced last year. With the official start of winter on November 1, 2023, Sunwing proudly announced that it has already transported nearly 100,000 passengers on approximately 600 flights to sought-after tropical destinations. In the first 17 days of November, 100% of its scheduled flights have successfully taken off and landed without incident.
Len Corrado, President of Sunwing Airlines, part of the WestJet Group, expressed enthusiasm about the start of the winter season, emphasizing their substantial investment in operational improvements over the past year. “We have enhanced our passenger experience through various measures, including optimizing our flight alert system and increasing crew staffing levels,” he stated. “These efforts have lifted our operational readiness, and we’re excited to deliver a record season that may surpass pre-pandemic travel figures.”
The airline’s proactive approach follows the challenges of last winter, when a major storm significantly impacted its Vancouver operations. To ensure readiness for peak winter travel, Sunwing has implemented several key measures:
- Increased Hiring: Sunwing has substantially ramped up the hiring of pilots and cabin crew to ensure robust operational support and to adapt to potential irregular conditions caused by inclement weather.
- Operations Control Centre Enhancements: The Operations Control Centre has been fortified with additional personnel across network operations, ensuring better oversight and coordination.
- Improved Communication: An enhanced Flight Alert system ensures timely and consistent communication with customers regarding any flight disruptions.
- Service Provider Agreements: Strengthened agreements with key service providers aim to bolster operational efficiency.
- Wet Lease Arrangements: Utilizing five aircraft on a wet lease from WestJet and further support from Smartwings allows for additional operational flexibility during peak demand.
Andrew Dawson, President of Sunwing Vacations Group, shared his optimism about the early success of the winter season. “With continued strong bookings for vacation packages, we’re proud to lead the vacation provider market in Canada,” he remarked. “We are ready to offer more vacation options to customers, fulfilling their travel dreams this winter.”
The winter schedule, initially announced in July 2023, features expanded capacity with more travel choices to popular destinations. Travelers can look forward to new packages flying from Toronto and Montreal to the stunning Cuban destinations of Cienfuegos and Manzanillo de Cuba. Additionally, the winter offerings include enhanced options to beautiful locations in Pacific Mexico like Los Cabos, Mazatlán, and Puerto Vallarta, as well as vacation choices for the Dominican Republic, including Puerto Plata.
Customers eager to book their winter getaways can do so through their local travel agents or directly at Sunwing.ca. Additionally, the Sunwing Guarantee applies to all bookings, ensuring perks such as complimentary first checked luggage and NexusTours airport transfers for those traveling on Sunwing Airlines.
