In an industry-shaking move, Canadian leisure carrier WestJet is acquiring Sunwing. 

The WestJet Group will acquire both Sunwing Vacations and Sunwing Airlines to create a combined tour operating business. 

That business will be led by Sunwing CEO Stephen Hunter. 

The new vacation division will include both Sunwing Vacations and WestJet Vacations. 

“The combination of WestJet’s strong balance sheet and vibrant growing national airline with Sunwing’s established brand and expertise in creating differentiated vacation packages will ensure this new tour operating business thrives,” the company’s president, Andrew Dawson, said in a statement. 

Dawson said existing plans customers have made with Sunwing “will be honored.”

“Given that the agreement is subject to regulatory approvals, we will be operating business as usual for the time being,” he said.