Canada aviation: WestJet defining its priorities under new owner Onex

Canada's second largest airline, WestJet, has gone through numerous changes to its business model during the last decade - introducing two new subsidiaries, Encore and Swoop, adding new regional partners, forging a new joint venture and launching long haul operations, first with 767s and then with next generation 787s.

The dizzying pace of change has drawn its fair share of scrutiny from the investment community, reflecting the dichotomy that airlines face in satisfying the shortsightedness of markets while also crafting long term strategic plans.

WestJet won't be subject to the quarterly whiplash that other airlines face now that it is being bought by the private equity firm Onex for CAD5 billion. But the airline continues to forge a clear growth strategy that entails building deep partnerships to broaden its international reach and continuing to capture a larger share of Canada's corporate travellers.