Southwest cancels code-sharing plans with WestJet

Texas-based Southwest Airlines has decided to cancel its plans to share codes with WestJet Airlines, based in Canada.

Code-sharing is a practice in the airline industry in which one carrier assigns its flight number or code to another carrier’s flight so that its passengers can be flown using the other airline’s aircraft.

WestJet was earlier offered five pairs of take off and landing slots at New York’s LaGuardia International Airport by Delta Airlines Inc, which wanted to exchange its slots with US Airways Inc. WestJet had requested Southwest to modify the code-sharing agreement between them to allow the code-sharing deal between Delta and WestJet.

However, Southwest was unable to comply with the request and after discussions, decided that it would be better for both airlines(Southwest and WestJet) to operate independently and terminated the code-sharing agreement.

WestJet and Southwest had initially planned to begin their partnership in 2009, but it was postponed to 2010 on the request of Southwest. With the failure to start code-sharing, Southwest has lost its access to the Canadian market. However, Executive VP of Strategy and Planning at Southwest, Bob Jordan clarified that Southwest was still interested in offering service to Canada and may enter into code-sharing agreements with other Canadian airlines or even start its own flight operations to Canada.

Chief executive and chairman of Southwest Airlines, Gary Kelly also stressed on the point by saying that Southwest was increasing its technological capabilities to start operating internationally. Since the airline served the most number of domestic passengers in the United States, it had become their prerogative to take the passengers to their desired destinations, whether it is within the US or beyond the border. He added that the airline was in the process of its transformation to an international airline.