Flair accuses WestJet of predatory pricing
Executive ordered to appear before Competition Bureau
Flair Airlines chief executive Jim Scott says predatory pricing and scheduling by rival WestJet Airlines Ltd. placed his budget carrier in jeopardy, as a “David and Goliath” battle over the past six months has culminated in an investigation by Canada’s competition watchdog.
On Tuesday, the Federal Court of Canada’s chief justice ordered a WestJet vice-president to appear before the Competition Bureau to explain the airline’s tactics, the latest development in a probe launched in the fall.
Scott said WestJet and low-cost offshoot Swoop used anti-competitive practices to crowd out Flair from several smaller markets including Saskatoon, Thunder Bay and Kamloops.
“Whenever we go into a market, WestJet or Swoop will go into the same mar- ket with a lot of inventory, low-cost,” he said in an interview.
The ultra-low-cost carrier lost about $10 million between mid-June and midOctober as a result, he claimed.
“This is a case of David and Goliath. We’re here trying to provide a service to Canadians, and the entrenched incumbent is basically trying to keep a new player out of the marketplace.
“If the Canadian government didn’t step in in such a timely manner, it would have been very difficult for us to continue,” Scott added. “It has to end.”
WestJet said it is “compiling information” in response to the probe.
The Federal Court has ordered the Calgary-based carrier along with Swoop to provide the Competition Bureau with detailed pricing and other records including emails.
Interim competition commissioner
Matthew Boswell states in a Dec. 5 motion that he “has reason to believe that the parties have engaged in a conduct that constitutes an abuse of dominant position,” in violation of the Competition Act.
Boswell states that WestJet and Swoop “are engaging in predatory anti-competitive practices, more specifically predatory pricing, by significantly decreasing the prices of their passenger tickets to a level that appears to be below their avoidable costs,” leading to less competition.
The accusation applies to three routes that WestJet and Swoop “substantially or completely control” — Edmonton-Abbotsford, Edmonton-Hamilton and Edmonton-Winnipeg routes. Boswell notes that WestJet created an Edmonton-Hamilton route only after Flair did, and then ramped up capacity via Swoop’s 14 flights per week versus Flair’s seven. Swoop advertised all-inclusive fares for as low as $69 starting in June, compared to WestJet’s $149 fares the summer prior.
Flair’s CEO said his rival’s pricing and scheduling practices forced his airline to drop all service at the Hamilton airport in October.
On flights between Edmonton and Abbotsford, meanwhile, WestJet flight offers starting at $39 cost Flair $2 million be- tween June 20 and Oct.15, Scott said. WestJet’s vice-president of pricing and revenue management, John Weatherill, is slated to appear before the commissioner in 2019.
Analyst Chris Murray of AltaCorp Capital cited the “cost and distraction” of the investigation as a “negative.”
“As well, any finding could create a monetary penalty or impact the company’s continued rollout of its Swoop ultralow cost carrier division, impacting growth and earnings in 2019 and beyond,” Murray said.
WestJet created an Edmonton-Hamilton route only after Flair did, and then ramped up capacity