WestJet was founded in 1994 and began operations in 1996. In 2018, WestJet carried 25.49 million passengers, making it the ninth-largest airline in North America by passengers carried. It is the second-largest airline based in Canada, behind Air Canada, operating an average of 777 flights and carrying more than 66,130 passengers per day. is a major Canadian airline headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, near Calgary International Airport. Alexis von Hoensbroech ( President & CEO)