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U.S. and Asian airlines acquiring enormous stakes in WestJet

Daniel Chai
Daniel Chai
|
May 9 2025, 8:43 pm
U.S. and Asian airlines acquiring enormous stakes in WestJetWestJet just suspended more flights between Canada and the U.S.
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    • “These investments, and the enhanced partnerships they bring, are an endorsement of our people and WestJet’s differentiated performance through an extraordinary period for aviation in recent years,” said Hoensbroech in a statement.

    Delta will pay US$330 million (C$459.6 million) to acquire a 15 per cent stake, while Korean Air will invest US$220 million (C$306 million) for a 10 per cent stake.

    The two new minority equity stake owners have been codeshare partners with WestJet for over a decade, allowing each Delta and Korean Air to sell seats on the Canadian airline’s flights and vice versa.

    WestJet

    Daniel Chai/Daily Hive

    WestJet also shared that Delta intends to sell and transfer a 2.3 per cent stake in WestJet to its Air France-KLM, another existing WestJet partner, for US$50 million (C$69.6 million).

    Amid the shakeup of stake owners at WestJet, it was confirmed that Onex Group will continue to own and control the Calgary-based airline.

    “Delta, Korean, and Air France-KLM are among the world’s most prominent and best-managed airlines,” said Tawfiq Popatia, co-head of Onex Partners, in a release. “Onex is delighted to welcome them as shareholders in WestJet.”

    The news comes as WestJet has temporarily suspended several flights from major Canadian cities to the United States, including from Vancouver, Kelowna, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and St. John’s.

    However, the airline is bringing several other changes to its schedule to strengthen its domestic schedule, including adding summer travel capacity.
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