WestJet wraps talks with federal government, not seeking aid

WestJet says it is not seeking financial aid from the federal government after months of talks between Ottawa and the airline. It says each party has agreed to shift focus to restarting the travel and tourism sector, given encouraging vaccination rates. WestJet’s overall passenger volumes in 2020 were down nearly 90 per cent from the year before, and the airline was forced to reduce its employee head count from 14,000 prior to the pandemic to a low of 4,000. But the airline has said it expects travel demand to rebound this summer as restrictions ease and COVID-19 case counts fall. WestJet has already restored service to all of the airports it served before the pandemic. The federal government announced Monday that as of Aug. 9, fully vaccinated US citizens and permanent residents will be allowed to enter the country, with the rest of the world to follow in September.<br/>