WestJet has launched a leadership transition at the top of its airline division, confirming on 28 May 2026 the planned retirement of Diederik Pen, Group Executive Vice-President, Chief Operating Officer and President of WestJet Airlines, with his departure anticipated no later than the first quarter of 2027.
Pen will remain in post overseeing the airline and leading operations teams until a successor is identified and onboarded, with the retirement timetable explicitly tied to the transition process rather than a fixed exit date. WestJet has initiated a global search for his replacement, signalling openness to external and potentially non-Canadian candidates in a tight market for experienced operations-focused airline leaders.
Pen assumed the role of President of WestJet Airlines effective 1 April 2024, in addition to his existing EVP and COO responsibilities, at a time when the group was consolidating the integration of Sunwing and emphasizing operational performance and cost discipline. The carrier is framing the succession as a managed, continuity-focused process designed to avoid any operational leadership gap during a period of robust demand and ongoing network and cost-pressure challenges.