The closure of Sunwing's Quebec City base, announced for March 18, 2025, is causing alarm among pilots and flight attendants, who fear a reduction in on-board French-language service and an exodus of talent to Montreal and Toronto. At a press conference at Jean-Lesage Airport, the ALPA and flight attendant unions sharply criticized WestJet, Sunwing's owner since its takeover, for deciding to put an end to the base opened in 2007.
From now on, flights from Quebec City will no longer be operated exclusively by local staff, but by employees from Montreal, Toronto or Calgary. "There's no guarantee that the crew will be fluent in French, and we risk ending up with a bilingual service reduced to a minority," laments Sunwing captain Mathieu Têtu.
The only air base east of Montreal, Quebec City used to employ 50 pilots and 80 flight attendants. The latter are now faced with the choice of moving to Montreal, covering the cost of travel to and from their flights, or quitting their jobs. According to ALPA, several pilots have already resigned. "Working in one's own language, at home, was a major asset," points out Louis-Éric Mongrain, vice-president of ALPA Canada, comparing the loss to the impact of the Cégep de Chicoutimi pilot program for French-speaking people.
The economic impact is also denounced: $12 million in salaries could leave the region, and flight attendants who would commute between Quebec City and Montreal could pay up to $20,000 a year. "We're losing a precious link with our passengers," laments Dominique Côté, a flight attendant for 18 years.
Despite repeated requests from the unions to postpone the closure, WestJet remains silent. The end of this base marks a turning point for Quebec City, both for its workers and for its French-speaking travellers.