Sunwing Airlines
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Founder | Colin Hunter |
| Defunct | 2025-05-28 |
| Fate | Merged into WestJet |
| Headquarters | Toronto , Canada |
Area served | Canada, United States, Caribbean, Central America, South America |
Key people | Colin Hunter (Founder) |
| Products | Passenger air transport |
| Parent | WestJet (from 2023) |
Sunwing Airlines Inc, known simply as Sunwing, was a Canadian budget airline with its headquarters located in Toronto, Ontario. The airline's primary hubs were situated at Montréal–Trudeau International Airport and Toronto Pearson International Airport. Originally a part of Sunwing Travel Group, it was acquired by WestJet in 2023 and officially merged into WestJet on May 28, 2025.
Establishment and Initial Expansion
By 2004, Sunwing Vacations had become the second-largest tour operator in Ontario. That same year, Mark Williams, formerly with Skyservice, approached Sunwing Travel Group CEO Colin Hunter with the idea of launching an airline.
Sunwing commenced operations in November 2005 with its first flight—a Boeing 737-800—traveling from Toronto to Santiago de Cuba. The following month, it introduced one of the earliest direct international flights from Sudbury Airport to Varadero, Cuba. The airline expanded its network by initiating service from Montreal in November 2006 and by 2008 was active in 29 cities.
Progression from 2010 Onward
In June 2012, an unidentified party along with Transat A.T. filed information with the Canadian Transportation Agency questioning Sunwing's compliance with foreign ownership regulations. By November, the CTA validated that Sunwing met the required foreign ownership criteria.
In 2015, Sunwing secured a $350 million agreement with Air Lease Corporation to purchase two Boeing 737-800s and four Boeing 737 MAX 8s, scheduled for delivery over four years starting in 2016. The following year, Seneca College and the University of Waterloo collaborated with Sunwing to establish a cadet program focused on flight instruction and mentorship.
Joining the Transportation Security Administration's TSA PreCheck initiative in January 2017 enabled Sunwing passengers quicker security screening at 180 U.S. airports alongside 30 other airlines.
Sunwing took delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX 8 on May 25, 2018. By 2023, the airline had shifted to a buy-on-board meal service model after previously offering complimentary meals on longer routes.
In March 2023, Canadian Transport Minister Omar Alghabra authorized WestJet's acquisition of both Sunwing Airlines and Sunwing Vacations, which concluded in May. On June 17, WestJet revealed plans to fully integrate Sunwing into its mainline operations within a two-year timeframe. By May 2024, WestJet confirmed that complete assimilation would be achieved by 2025. Sunwing’s final flight occurred on May 28, 2025—flight WG9078 from Toronto Pearson International Airport to Václav Havel Airport Prague.
Destinations
Sunwing operated both scheduled and charter services from Canada and the United States to locations across the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America during winter months. Prominent destinations included Varadero, Punta Cana, Cancún, and Montego Bay. Its previous parent company, Sunwing Travel Group, is recognized as Cuba’s leading international travel provider, transporting more than 700,000 vacationers annually.
Within Canada, Sunwing maintained domestic routes such as daily flights connecting Toronto and Vancouver, along with year-round service to other favored locations. Additional Canadian destinations served from Toronto included Deer Lake, Gander, and St. John's. By summer 2015, Caribbean flights also originated from various U.S. cities including Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Columbus, Houston, Lansing, Milwaukee, Nashville, New Orleans, Newark, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Rockford.
During summer seasons, Sunwing offered domestic Canadian services out of 23 airports such as CFB Bagotville, Calgary International Airport, Deer Lake Regional Airport, Edmonton International Airport, Fredericton International Airport, Gander International Airport, Halifax Stanfield International Airport, John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport, Kelowna International Airport, Region of Waterloo International Airport, London International Airport, Greater Moncton Roméo LeBlanc International Airport, Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport, Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport, Regina International Airport, Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport, St. John's International Airport, Thunder Bay International Airport, Vancouver International Airport, Windsor International Airport, and Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport.
At the point of merging with WestJet, Sunwing served these destinations:
| Country | Region | City | Airport | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antigua and Barbuda | Saint John | St. John's | V. C. Bird International Airport | |
| Aruba | Oranjestad West / Oranjestad East | Oranjestad | Queen Beatrix International Airport | |
| Bahamas | Grand Bahama | Freeport | Grand Bahama International Airport | |
| Canada | Alberta | Calgary | Calgary International Airport | Seasonal base |
| Edmonton | Edmonton International Airport | Seasonal base | ||
| British Columbia | Kelowna | Kelowna International Airport | Seasonal base | |
| Vancouver | Vancouver International Airport | Seasonal base | ||
| Manitoba | Winnipeg | Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport | Seasonal base | |
| New Brunswick | Fredericton | Fredericton International Airport | Seasonal base | |
| Moncton | Greater Moncton Roméo LeBlanc International Airport | Seasonal base | ||
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Deer Lake | Deer Lake Regional Airport | Seasonal base | |
| Gander | Gander International Airport | Seasonal base | ||
| St. John's | St. John's International Airport | Seasonal base | ||
| Nova Scotia | Halifax | Halifax Stanfield International Airport | Seasonal base | |
| Ontario | Hamilton | John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport | Seasonal base | |
| Kitchener | Region of Waterloo International Airport | Seasonal base | ||
| London | London International Airport | Seasonal base | ||
| Ottawa | Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport | Seasonal base | ||
| Thunder Bay | Thunder Bay International Airport | Seasonal base | ||
| Toronto | Toronto Pearson International Airport | Base | ||
| Windsor | Windsor International Airport | Seasonal base | ||
| Quebec | Bagotville | CFB Bagotville | Seasonal base | |
| Montreal | Montréal–Trudeau International Airport | Base | ||
| Quebec City | Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport | Seasonal base | ||
| Saskatchewan | Regina | Regina International Airport | Seasonal base | |
| Saskatoon | Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport | Seasonal base | ||
| Colombia | Archipelago of San Andrés | San Andrés Island | Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport | |
| Costa Rica | Guanacaste | Liberia | Guanacaste Airport | |
| Cuba | Cayo Coco | Jardines del Rey Airport | ||
| Cayo Largo | Vilo Acuña Airport | |||
| Cayo Santa Maria | Abel Santamaría Airport | |||
| Cienfuegos | Jaime González Airport | |||
| Holguín | Frank País Airport | |||
| Manzanillo | Sierra Maestra Airport | |||
| Varadero | Juan Gualberto Gómez Airport | |||
| La Romana Province | La Romana | La Romana International Airport | ||
| Puerto Plata Province | Puerto Plata | Gregorio Luperón International Airport | ||
| La Altagracia Province | Punta Cana | Punta Cana International Airport | ||
| Grenada | St. George's | Maurice Bishop International Airport | ||
| Honduras | Roatán | Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport | ||
| Jamaica | Montego Bay | Sangster International Airport | ||
| Mexico | Acapulco | Acapulco International Airport | ||
| Cancún | Cancún International Airport | |||
| Los Cabos | Los Cabos International Airport | |||
| Mazatlán | Mazatlán International Airport | |||
| Puerto Vallarta | Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport | |||
| Panama | Río Hato | Scarlett Martínez International Airport | ||
| Saint Lucia | Vieux Fort | Hewanorra International Airport | ||
| Sint Maarten | Princess Juliana International Airport | |||
| United States | Orlando | Orlando International Airport |
Current fleet
When Sunwing merged with WestJet, its fleet consisted exclusively of Boeing 737 aircraft. Although only nine planes are officially registered with Transport Canada, the airline reports operating a fleet exceeding 40 aircraft.[1]
| Aircraft | In service | Orders | Passengers[1] | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-800 | 5 | — | 189 | |
| Boeing 737 MAX 8 | 4 | — | ||
| Total | 9 | — | ||
To maximize efficiency during peak travel seasons in North America and Europe, Sunwing engages in seasonal aircraft leasing arrangements with European airlines such as TUI Group and Smartwings.
Former fleet
Previously, Sunwing's fleet included:
| Aircraft | Quantity | Introduced | Retired | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 767-300ER | 2 | 2012 | 2012 | Leased seasonally from EuroAtlantic Airways. |
Accidents and incidents
- On July 25, 2014, a Sunwing Boeing 737-800 en route from Toronto to Scarlett Martínez International Airport returned to the origin airport following a bomb threat; the individual responsible was apprehended and later found to be mentally unwell. The flight experienced further delay when a passenger lost consciousness.
- On January 5, 2018, a ground collision occurred at Toronto Pearson International Airport involving a Sunwing Boeing 737-800 and a stationary WestJet aircraft; a minor fire ensued but was promptly extinguished.
- In December 2016, a Sunwing pilot was suspended and charged for operating under the influence of alcohol; this matter was resolved internally within the company.
- On December 30, 2021, unruly behavior by passengers aboard Sunwing Flight 2283 from Montréal to Cancún included consumption of alcohol and suspected drugs, alongside non-compliance with COVID-19 mask regulations. Following this event, Sunwing as well as Canadian airlines Air Transat and Air Canada barred these individuals from boarding return flights. The incident prompted federal investigations and condemnation from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who described the conduct as reckless and hazardous to public safety.
Trivia
- The boarding music for Sunwing flights featured covers performed by Colin Hunter, who is also the airline’s founder.