TORONTO, March 10, 2025 /CNW/ – In honour of International Women’s Day (IWD), on Saturday, March 8, 2025, Sunwing Vacations’ primary airline partner, Sunwing Airlines, took off for the clouds from Toronto and Montreal with two flights to Montego Bay and Cancun, respectively, operated by an all-female flight deck and cabin crew.

These two flights were led by an impressive team of women in both Toronto and Montreal, including:

• Toronto to Montego Bay: Janice MacSween (Captain), Lexi Tibbetts (First Officer), Stephanie Bourgeois (Cabin Safety Manager), Sabrina Baribeau (Flight Attendant), Stephanie Tatiana Kraner (Flight Attendant) and Darya Soufian Abdollahi (Flight Attendant)
• Montreal to Cancun: Jessica Kessler (Captain), Tridha Aravind (First Officer), Kim Arcand Beaudoin (Cabin Safety Manager), Helene Cormier (Flight Attendant), Maria Ostrowska (Flight Attendant) and Louise Malo (Flight Attendant)

This annual initiative serves as a powerful symbol of women’s achievements in travel and Sunwing’s longstanding dedication to fostering an inclusive environment. It not only honours the accomplishments of women in aviation, but also highlights the airline’s ongoing commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and further amplifies this year’s IWD theme of #AccelerateAction. As the aviation sector continues to evolve, these flights stand as a testament to the progress made towards equity and the opportunities for further advancement.

Sunwing Airlines First Officer, Jessalyn Teed played a key role in organizing Saturday’s flights and reflected upon this important moment:

“This year, we’re celebrating both International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month at Sunwing Airlines. The overarching themes of #AccelerateAction and “Moving Forward Together – Women Educating and Inspiring Generations” highlight the incredible contributions of women dedicated to leadership, education and mentorship – principles that are at the heart of our values here at Sunwing Airlines – as well as the work to be done to continue this progress; from operations to the ramp, aircraft cabins and flight decks, the women of Sunwing Airlines exemplify this each day. It has been an absolute pleasure to work alongside these women, learn from them, and honour them and the role they play on a daily basis. We celebrate the incredible women who soar above and beyond with professionalism and passion, as their strength, dedication and leadership inspire us all to reach new heights. Happy International Women’s Day!”

Sunwing Vacations Group is proud to support women in the travel industry through its DEI) strategy, while honouring and celebrating DEI for all experiences and backgrounds as an extension of its EPIC values.

About Sunwing Vacations

As the leading vacation provider in Canada, Sunwing Vacations offers more vacation packages to the south than any other vacation provider with convenient direct service from cities across Canada to popular sun destinations across the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America. This scale enables Sunwing Vacations to offer customers exclusive deals at top-rated resorts in the most popular vacation destinations. Sunwing Vacations customers benefit from the assistance of our trusted partner in destination, NexusTours, whose representatives greet customers upon arrival and support them throughout their vacation journey. For more information, please visit sunwing.ca.

TORONTO, Feb. 5, 2025 /CNW/ – Yesterday morning, Sunwing Vacations’ primary airline partner, Sunwing Airlines, embarked on its second annual celebratory flight in honour of Black History Month. Departing from Toronto to Montego Bay with a plane full of excited travellers on their way to enjoy their hard-earned vacations, yesterday’s flight was led by a Black flight deck and cabin crew. 

Leading the charge inflight was Captain Jeffrey Gill (Montreal based) and First Officer Bereket Dadi (Toronto based), along with Cabin Safety Manager Urszula Dec (Toronto based) and Toronto-based Flight Attendants Chantele Francis, Nicole Cregg and Cheryl Williams, who have excelled in the field of aviation, inspiring others and paving the way for the next generation.

Michael Simmons, Sunwing Airlines’ Director of Line Operations and the driving force behind this important initiative, spoke to the importance of recognizing Black history in this way: “Celebrating Black History Month through this commemorative flight is more than just recognition – it’s a powerful message about progress and possibility. As someone who’s spent over 30 years in aviation, I’ve witnessed firsthand how representation has evolved. When I started, I rarely saw pilots who looked like me. By highlighting the achievements of Black aviation professionals, we’re showing the next generation that this exciting industry has a place for them. This isn’t just about acknowledging our past but also how we’re actively shaping the future by ensuring young people can see themselves in aviation. When they see us in the cockpit and on board as crew members, they know their dreams can take flight too.”

Together, Sunwing Vacations and Sunwing Airlines honour Black History Month and the legacy of Black Canadians through its Brave Space Conversation series where thought-provoking and meaningful dialogue is shared across the organization, ongoing reflection is encouraged, and the innovations and achievements are celebrated, while recognizing the challenges and systemic barriers still experienced to this day.

February is an important time of reflection, however Sunwing is proud to support the Black community every day of the year through its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Strategy, while promoting, honouring and celebrating DEI for all experiences and backgrounds as an extension of its EPIC Values.

About Sunwing Vacations

As the leading vacation provider in Canada, Sunwing Vacations offers more vacation packages to the south than any other vacation provider with convenient direct service from cities across Canada to popular sun destinations across the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America. This scale enables Sunwing Vacations to offer customers exclusive deals at top-rated resorts in the most popular vacation destinations. Sunwing Vacations customers benefit from the assistance of our knowledgeable destination management partner, NexusTours, whose representatives greet customers upon arrival and support them throughout their vacation journey. For more information, please visit sunwing.ca.

Over 200 family emergency kits were packed by Sunwing and GlobalMedic employees to be transported to Montego Bay on board Sunwing Airlines

TORONTO, Oct. 31, 2024 /CNW/ – Nearly 40 employees across Sunwing Vacations Group and Sunwing Airlines recently joined GlobalMedic for a humanitarian aid packing party to support the local communities in Jamaica that were greatly impacted by the devastating effects of Hurricane Beryl this past July. This is in line with Sunwing’s longstanding commitment to support the communities and destinations it services with hurricane relief and disaster recovery. 

For more than 20 years, GlobalMedic has worked as a registered Canadian charity running capacity building programs and providing crisis relief services to large-scale catastrophes around the world. Their goal has been simple: revolutionize aid delivery to have the greatest impact and most efficiency. As we are in the midst of hurricane season, organizations like GlobalMedic are integral to the safety and recovery of the impacted nations.

This is not the first time Sunwing and GlobalMedic have partnered to support communities in southern destinations. In 2018, Sunwing and GlobalMedic packed reading books, backpacks and other essential school materials to be transported to Barbuda, ensuring the local school children have access to the necessary supplies for a successful and fulfilling education. Collaborating on important initiatives such as these helps to highlight Sunwing’s ongoing commitment to giving back to the destinations and the local residents they serve, while showcasing the life-saving efforts exerted by GlobalMedic to support those affected by poverty, disaster or conflict with critical humanitarian aid.

Khuram Malik, Sunwing Airlines Vice President of Services and Airport Handling, was on site and expanded upon this sentiment: “Our partnership with GlobalMedic, an incredible organization that has provided humanitarian aid in many countries, allows us to make a tangible difference in the lives of those affected by this crisis. Giving back to the communities we operate in is part of who we are, and we are proud to be able to lend our support in such a meaningful way.”

“GlobalMedic is thrilled to once again be partnering with Sunwing to get critical aid to families impacted by disaster,” adds Jamie Cross, Senior Emergency Programs Manager at GlobalMedic. “Volunteers are at the core of everything we do at GlobalMedic and the team that Sunwing mobilized to help pack Family Emergency Kits was amazing. Their efforts in packing will ensure more families have access to basic resources like clean drinking water, and their support in moving the kits from Toronto into hurricane affected areas means we can get the right aid, to the right people, at the right time.”

It was a successful day in Etobicoke at GlobalMedic’s warehouse, with 990 filters wrapped and 240 full family emergency kits assembled. These kits included essential items like basic hygiene items, a solar light and a ceramic water purification unit which can provide clean drinking water for a family for up to 12 months. Additionally, 240 boxes were built for GlobalMedic to fill and ship in the future.

Watch more of the day’s efforts on GlobalMedic’s YouTube channel.

About GlobalMedic

GlobalMedic is a registered Canadian charity that runs capacity building programs and provides disaster relief services to large-scale catastrophes around the world. GlobalMedic has responded to 258 disasters in 84 countries, including earthquakes in Ecuador, Haiti, Japan and Nepal; tsunamis in Japan and Sri Lanka; typhoons in the Philippines and Taiwan; hurricanes in Grenada and Guatemala; cyclones in India, Myanmar, Vanuatu and Mozambique; floods in Bangladesh, Mexico and Pakistan; drought and famine in Kenya and Mauritania; epidemics in Liberia and Sierra Leone; and complex emergencies in Gaza, Iraq, Mali, Somalia, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen.

About Sunwing Vacations

As the leading vacation provider in Canada, Sunwing Vacations offers more vacation packages to the south than any other vacation provider with convenient direct service from cities across Canada to popular sun destinations across the U.S.A., Caribbean, Mexico and Central America. This scale enables Sunwing Vacations to offer customers exclusive deals at top-rated resorts in the most popular vacation destinations. Sunwing Vacations customers benefit from the assistance of our knowledgeable destination management partner, NexusTours, whose representatives greet customers upon arrival and support them throughout their vacation journey. For more information, please visit sunwing.ca.

The vacation provider will be offering service to 27 sun destinations this winter from 24 gateways across Canada, including regional airports from coast to coast for added convenience

TORONTO, Aug. 20, 2024 /CNW/ – Following last year’s winter season, which saw a steady increase in vacation package bookings among Canadians to sought-after sun destinations down south, Sunwing Vacations is pleased to share its initial 2024-2025 winter schedule featuring flights from 24 airports across Canada to 27 sun destinations, including the exciting additions of Tulum, Camaguey-Santa Lucia and San Andrés.

Offering more vacation packages to sun destinations than any other Canadian vacation provider, families of all ages, solo explorers and adults only travellers have access to a wide range of all inclusive Sunwing packages to over 700 hotels in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. This year’s winter schedule opens the door to even more vacation possibilities with the introduction of three new destinations customers can explore courtesy of direct flights from Toronto and Montreal, including Camaguey-Santa Lucia, blending history, natural beauty and everything travellers love about Cuba. With the recent opening of Tulum Airport, Montreal customers can discover this coastal destination with ease, from its laidback bohemian atmosphere to its archeological world wonders and vibrant local culture. Also new from Montreal this season, residents can travel direct to San Andrés off the coast of Nicaragua, with beautiful beaches and extraordinary nature experiences.

Notable additions to the 2024-2025 schedule also include: 

• Monday flights to Cancun from Kitchener-Waterloo, starting December 16, 2024;
• Three weekly flights to La Romana from Montreal, starting November 30, 2024, and;
• Weekly flights to Cancun and Puerto Vallarta from Victoria, starting December 10, 2024.

Canadians based in regional communities from coast to coast can continue to enjoy the added convenience of direct flights to their favourite sun destinations from their local airports:

• More options from Ontario gateways, including Hamilton, Windsor, London, Thunder Bay and more, starting November 2, 2024;
• Weekly departures from Quebec City, starting November 1, 2024 and weekly flights to Cancun, Punta Cana and Varadero from Saguenay-Bagotville, starting December 9, 2024;
• Weekly flights to Cancun and Mazatlán from Kelowna, starting December 12, 2024, in addition to direct flights from major gateways across Western Canada;
• Continued weekly service to top southern destinations from gateways in Atlantic Canada, starting January 5, 2025, furthering Sunwing’s commitment to providing its customers in Moncton, St. John’s, Gander, Deer Lake and more with affordable sun vacations, and;
• Multiple weekly flights to airports throughout Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Cuba from the Prairies, starting November 4, 2024.

What’s more, popular vacation destinations throughout the tropics return to Sunwing for another year around the sun, including Acapulco, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta along the Mexican Pacific, Puerto Plata on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, Cayo Largo from Montreal and Quebec City, Costa Rica, Roatán and Freeport on Grand Bahama Island.

“As the leading vacation provider in the country, our commitment to providing Canadians with accessible, affordable vacation options has remained steadfast, and we are thrilled to introduce our initial winter lineup featuring more of the destinations our customers know and love, plus the exciting new additions of Tulum, Camaguey-Santa Lucia and San Andrés, with direct flights starting as early as November 2,” said Andrew Dawson, President of Sunwing Vacations Group.

“We continue to see a growing demand for sun vacations, particularly for winter travel, and early bookings are already outpacing last year’s early booking figures. We’re excited to continue meeting that demand by offering vacation packages to a greater variety of sun destinations, and more flights on board Sunwing Airlines, with the added support of WestJet aircraft this winter season to enhance connectivity and service more customers across the country. We’re excited for Canadians to experience the value that an all inclusive vacation with Sunwing provides, and encourage customers to book their winter vacations sooner than later to ensure the most value for their money to their preferred destinations and resorts.”

Sunwing Vacations customers can secure the dates, destinations and hotels they want when they get ahead of the rush and secure their winter getaways early on Sunwing.ca or through their local travel advisor.

About Sunwing Vacations          

As the leading tour operator in Canada, Sunwing Vacations offers more vacation packages to the south than any other vacation provider with convenient direct service from cities across Canada to popular sun destinations across the U.S.A., Caribbean, Mexico and Central America. This scale enables Sunwing Vacations to offer customers exclusive deals at top-rated resorts in the most popular vacation destinations. Sunwing Vacations customers benefit from the assistance of our knowledgeable destination management partner, NexusTours, whose representatives greet customers upon arrival and support them throughout their vacation journey. For more information, please visit sunwing.ca. 

TORONTO, Nov. 16, 2023 /CNW/ – With the official start of its winter season on November 1, 2023, Sunwing is pleased to have brought nearly 100,000 customers on nearly 600 Sunwing Airlines flights across the country to dozens of popular destinations in the tropics, with 100% of flights successfully completed during this time period.

“We are thrilled with the strong operational results for the start of our winter season, and have invested significantly in enhancing our operations over the past year to provide a more robust and seamless passenger experience,” said Len Corrado, President of Sunwing Airlines. “From improving our flight alert system to adding more key roles across the airline, including crew, I am incredibly proud of the work that has been done to enhance our operational readiness and look forward to a record season that will meet if not surpass pre-pandemic travel numbers.”

Over the past year, Sunwing Airlines has implemented several key measures to bolster its operational readiness for the peak winter season:

• Increased hiring of pilots and cabin crew to support winter operations and to account for any irregular operations, such as inclement weather events, including added reserve coverage for more remote regions in the country;
• Fortified its Operations Control Centre with several added positions across network operations, and increased various administrative roles across the airline;
• Enhanced its Flight Alert system to provide customers with more timely and consistent communication related to any flight disruptions;
• Enhanced its service letter agreements with key service providers to ensure operational efficiencies;
• Operating five aircraft on a wet lease basis with WestJet to support Sunwing’s peak operations, including leveraging WestJet crews to support as required, in addition to operating several aircraft on a wet lease basis with Smartwings to further support operational needs for the winter.

“We are excited by the strong start to this winter season, and have already seen an impressive number of bookings for vacation packages and customers travelling in the first half of November,” added Andrew Dawson, President of Sunwing Vacations Group. “As the leading vacation provider in Canada, we are proud of the early success this season, and are grateful for the work that’s been done by our airline partner Sunwing Airlines to enhance operational readiness for the winter. We are ready to deliver a strong season with more vacation packages to more destinations, and can’t wait to make even more of our customers’ vacation dreams come true this winter.” 

Sunwing announced its initial winter schedule in July 2023, which included significant capacity growth over the previous winter season, including more travel options to the customer favourite destinations of Cuba, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. New and notable for this winter season are packages from Toronto and Montreal to the Cuban destinations of Cienfuegos and Manzanillo de Cuba. Sunwing Vacations customers can also look forward to more vacation options for destinations in Pacific Mexico, including Los Cabos, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta, and more options for travel to Puerto Plata on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic.

Sunwing Vacations customers can book their winter getaways through their local travel agent or on Sunwing.ca. Plus, customers will receive the Sunwing Guarantee on their bookings, including the first bag checked for free, complimentary NexusTours airport transfers in destination for packages with flights on Sunwing Airlines, plus more perks and inclusions.

About Sunwing Vacations 

As the leading tour operator in Canada, Sunwing Vacations offers more vacation packages to the south than any other vacation provider with convenient direct service from cities across Canada to popular sun destinations across the U.S.A., Caribbean, Mexico and Central America. This scale enables Sunwing Vacations to offer customers exclusive deals at top-rated resorts in the most popular vacation destinations. Sunwing Vacations customers benefit from the assistance of our knowledgeable destination management partner, NexusTours, whose representatives greet customers upon arrival and support them throughout their vacation journey. For more information, please visit Sunwing.ca.