MONTREAL: WestJet Airlines Chief Executive Ed Sims said on Monday he aims to reach a first labor agreement with unionized pilots this year, in a break with the Canadian carrier's former CEO, who said he did not expect a first contract before 2019.
"My drive is to reach a settlement, and ideally reach a settlement as quickly as possible," Sims told Reuters in an interview. "We will reach a settlement this year," he added.
Sims, who joined WestJet in May 2017, took over the carrier's reins on March 8, after former Chief Executive Gregg Saretsky announced his retirement after nine years at the airline.
Analysts have raised concerns that Calgary-headquartered WestJet is taking on too many initiatives at once at a time of potential labor unrest with pilots.
The Calgary-based carrier is negotiating a first collective agreement with the Airline Pilots' Association (ALPA), launching its new no-frills airline Swoop in June and expanding international flight offerings with upscale seating to lure higher-paying travelers.
Sims said WestJet has recruited Canadian pilots from outside the carrier to fly for Swoop after ALPA won a Canadian Labor Board order preventing the airline from hiring its own mainline pilots at the budget carrier. Sims, however, said he believes WestJet pilots will one day be able to fly for Swoop.
"At some stage I firmly believe all of that flying will be operated by WestJet pilots," he said.
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