CALGARY, Canada – Canada’s ultra-low-fare airline Swoop, subsidiary of WestJet Airlines Ltd., was announced as the winner of the CAPA 2019 Aviation Awards for Excellence Start-up Airline of the Year. Steven Greenway, president, Swoop, accepted the award at the CAPA World Aviation Outlook Summit taking place in Malta and delivered a keynote presentation at the global summit.
The Start-up Airline of the Year is awarded annually to an innovative airline with the greatest impact on the aviation industry. Swoop’s first flight took off in June 2018 and it has already experienced large success in the Canadian marketplace, currently servicing 37 markets with 17 destinations. As Canada’s leading domestic and transborder ultra-low-cost carrier, Swoop’s unbundled model provides travellers with low fares, services and amenities making travel more accessible for Canadians.
“Just 18 months ago, Swoop entered the marketplace to fulfill a need in the Canadian travel industry and we are proud to already be recognized globally for our success,” said Greenway. “We are continually looking for ways to reach new markets and be different in our industry. This award is a testament to the hard work we are putting towards differentiating ourselves and our operations on a global scale.”
“Swoop has risen to the challenge of maintaining a separate identity and strategy from its parent company,” said CAPA chairman, Emeritus Peter Harbison. “It is stimulating traffic in Canada’s market and adapting quickly to successfully execute the ultra-low-cost carrier model.”
In its 16th year, the CAPA Aviation Awards for Excellence reward airlines and airports that are not only financially successful but have also provided industry leadership in adjusting to a new environment. The awards are independently researched, and finalists are selected by an independent international panel of judges.
