Swoop Airlines History: WestJet's Ultra-Low-Cost Airline – Airline Employee Shop

Swoop Airlines History

Swoop was WestJet's pink-tailed ultra-low-cost airline, flying Canadians on bare-bones fares from 2018 until it was folded back into WestJet in 2023. Here's a short history of Swoop, plus the Swoop collection that celebrates it.

A new kind of airline (2017–2018)

In April 2017 WestJet announced plans for a new ultra-low-cost airline. The name Swoop was revealed on September 27, 2017. WestJet said it wanted to "swoop" into the Canadian market with a new business model. Swoop was set up to compete with newer low-fare airlines such as NewLeaf, which later became Flair Airlines. Tickets went on sale on February 1, 2018.

Wheels up (2018)

Swoop's first flight left Hamilton, Ontario, for Abbotsford, British Columbia, on June 20, 2018. A second inaugural flight that day went from Hamilton to Halifax, and CEO Steven Greenway flew with media and travelers to Abbotsford. Swoop started with two Boeing 737-800s, and Winnipeg and Edmonton were also early destinations. Flights to the United States were delayed while approvals came through and began on October 27, 2018.

Sun routes and growth (2019–2022)

Swoop's U.S. network included Las Vegas, Phoenix-Mesa, Tampa, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and San Diego. It also flew south to Puerto Vallarta, Montego Bay, Cancun, Mazatlan and Los Cabos. In October 2020 Swoop moved its main eastern base from Hamilton to Toronto Pearson. By the end, the fleet had grown to 16 jets: ten Boeing 737-800s and six 737 MAX 8s.

Back into WestJet (2023)

On June 9, 2023, WestJet announced that Swoop would be merged into WestJet. Swoop never turned a profit. Its Winnipeg and Edmonton bases closed on October 20, 2023, Toronto closed on October 25, and Swoop flew its last schedule on October 28, 2023.

A few things collectors love

  • The livery had a big Swoop logo on the fuselage and a pink tail with a white line leading to an aircraft silhouette.
  • Even the winglets were pink with a white stripe.
  • Each Swoop jet wore its own name in pink below the cockpit windows. One of the first was named after Hamilton.

Shop Swoop

Browse Swoop logo T-shirts, coffee mugs, coasters, tote bags and vintage designs in the Swoop collection. Add an airline bag tag or key tag for the Swoop fan in your life.

AirlineEmployeeShop.com is an independent retailer of airline memorabilia. This page is for historical interest and is not affiliated with or endorsed by WestJet.