Article content

Suncor Energy said Tuesday it will eliminate its in-house air service in favour of a deal with WestJet that will see the Calgary-based airline shuttle Suncor employees to and from the oilsands.

The agreement, to take effect in early November, will result in Suncor decommissioning and selling the three Bombardier CRJ jets currently operated through its in-house aviation department, Sunjet. Suncor spokesman Paul Newmarch declined to say how many employees would be affected by the change, but confirmed the decision was a cost-saving move.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Suncor eliminates in-house aviation department, WestJet picks up contract Back to video

“We are continuing to look for opportunities to reduce costs and focus resources on our core business,” Newmarch said. “With that in mind, we had been assessing potential cost savings and service enhancements that other aircraft carriers may be able to provide.”

Newmarch did not say how many passengers Suncor currently flies to and from its oilsands operations in northern Alberta. But WestJet’s executive vice-president, commercial, Bob Cummings, said the new agreement will involve more than 100 weekly flights to Suncor’s operations from Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, Kelowna, Saskatoon and Fort McMurray, using WestJet’s existing fleet of Boeing 737s and Bombardier Q400 aircraft.