TORONTO — WestJet and the Toronto Blue Jays are extending a partnership that has spanned more than a decade, with the airline announcing a renewed seven-year agreement and unveiling a new co-branded aircraft designed to celebrate two iconic Canadian brands.

WestJet’s Samantha Taylor

The announcement was made this morning, June 23, at WestJet’s Toronto hangar, where partners, community members, media and fans gathered for a celebration that featured games, music, food, photo opportunities and appearances by Blue Jays alumni Pat Borders and Edwin Encarnacion.

For WestJet, the renewal marks the continuation of a relationship that began in 2012 and one that company executives say is rooted in shared values, national reach and a common goal of bringing Canadians together.

“This partnership has been built on something bigger than travel and sport alone,” said Samantha Taylor, WestJet Group Executive Vice-President and Chief Experience Officer, during opening remarks. “It’s been grounded in a common belief that bringing people together matters. Whether we’re connecting Canadians across the country or fans to the stadium, both of these organizations exist to create moments that people will remember.”

The centrepiece of the event was the unveiling of a specially branded aircraft that will travel across WestJet’s network, carrying Toronto Blue Jays imagery from coast to coast.

“Our newly revealed co-branded aircraft is more than just a design, it’s a flying symbol of our shared story,” said Taylor. “As this aircraft travels from coast to coast, it will carry with it more than just guests. It will carry the energy of game day, the excitement of fans and the shared identity that makes being Canadian so special.”

A PARTNERSHIP BUILT ON SHARED VALUES

Speaking with Travelweek, Taylor said the partnership continues to align closely with WestJet’s long-term strategy and brand identity.

“We share the same underlying values,” she said. “The Blue Jays organization itself stands for so much of the community engagement and community support that we do as well.”

Taylor also pointed to the national reach of both organizations.

“This is Canada’s team from coast to coast and WestJet is a Canadian airline, and we service communities for both of us, which is very important,” she said.

The partnership also resonates on a more personal level. A Toronto native and lifelong Blue Jays fan, Taylor recalled attending both World Series championship parades in the early 1990s.

“Toronto is my hometown, I grew up here,” she told attendees. “In 1992, I was on the parade route when the Blue Jays won the World Series the first time, and in 1993 I was also on that parade route.”

She also drew parallels between the histories of the two organizations.

“The Blue Jays come from 50 years of fighting their way through and having some incredible success and accomplishments,” she told Travelweek. “So much of that is a similar story to WestJet as well, where we started in 1996 with a single type of aircraft in a very specific region to the size of carrier we are today.”

WestJet’s new co-branded aircraft with the Toronto Blue Jays

CELEBRATING CANADIAN MILESTONES

The renewal comes at a milestone moment for both brands, with the Blue Jays celebrating their 50th season and WestJet marking 30 years of operations.

“This year marks a meaningful celebration,” said Taylor. “The Toronto Blue Jays are marking an incredible 50 seasons of baseball in Canada. That’s 50 seasons of unforgettable plays, iconic moments and a fan base that stretches from coast to coast. At the same time, WestJet is celebrating 30 years of connecting Canadians.”

Taylor highlighted Toronto’s importance to WestJet’s network, describing the city as a key gateway for domestic and international travel and an essential hub for the airline’s eastern Canadian operations.

“Toronto serves as a powerful point of connection for our airline, helping us bring more Canadians together more often,” she said.

The partnership will also support future community initiatives, including a planned Make-A-Wish flight that will utilize the newly branded aircraft.

“MISSION ACCOMPLISHED”

For the Blue Jays, the renewed agreement represents the latest chapter in a relationship that has evolved significantly since its launch nearly 15 years ago.

Mark Ditmars, Vice President of Partnerships, Toronto Blue Jays, reflected on the origins of the partnership during his remarks.

“If I recall correctly, we were standing in centre field, and the brief was fairly simple on that day: let’s grow our brands together and let’s do it in a big way,” he said.

Among the partnership’s most visible successes has been the creation of the WestJet Flight Deck at Rogers Centre, which Ditmars described as “the original fan neighbourhood” and “perhaps the most iconic at any sports venue in Canada.”

He also highlighted WestJet’s support during the Blue Jays’ 2025 postseason run, when the airline helped transport hundreds of team staff to playoff games in Seattle and Los Angeles.

“Plane loads of staff, minimal time to organize, they made it all look seamless and simple,” he said.

Now, with the co-branded aircraft entering service, Ditmars believes the partnership has reached a new level.

“I started by reflecting on how this all started back in centre field,” he said. “This literally could be the mic-drop moment from that original meeting.”

He added: “Mission accomplished.”

Ace, Toronto Blue Jays’ mascot, opens the event with Toronto Blue Jays dancers

A BRIGHT MOMENT IN A CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT

The announcement also comes at a time when airlines continue to navigate geopolitical uncertainty, fluctuating fuel costs and broader economic pressures.

Asked what the celebration meant in today’s travel environment, Taylor acknowledged the challenges facing the industry while emphasizing the importance of recognizing positive moments.

“The airline industry is always very volatile,” she told Travelweek. “There is really nothing that happens in the world that doesn’t affect airlines in one way or another.”

At the same time, she noted the industry’s resilience.

“It’s an incredibly resilient organization and an incredibly resilient industry to be in as well,” she said. “We take the highs and the lows at face value and make sure that we celebrate the moments that truly make us unique and differentiated in the market and to our guests, like today.”

She added: “There’s an incredible amount of positive energy here, and we feel so grateful to have this celebratory moment with one of our favourite partners.”

BLUE JAYS FLYING WESTJET

Pat Borders (left) and Edwin Encarnacion

The event concluded with one simple question posed to former Blue Jays stars Pat Borders and Edwin Encarnacion.

Asked which WestJet destination they would choose if they could fly anywhere on the airline’s network, Encarnacion’s answer came quickly.

“It’s easy for me. Nothing better than to go home, so Dominican Republic,” he said to much applause.

Borders, meanwhile, opted for a destination much closer to his baseball roots.

“This is the only place I go,” he joked. “I’ll fly out of Tampa to come to Toronto.”

Lead image caption: WestJet and Toronto Blue Jays executives and alumni pose in front of the organizations’ new co-branded aircraft at WestJet’s hangar in Toronto, June 23, 2026