CALGARY – Onex Corp.’s $5-billion acquisition could reshape Canada’s airline industry and bring in Air Transat in its fold at a later date, according to analysts.
The Onex/WestJet deal is also the most high-profile example of a trend playing out in the sector — of private equity companies buying stakes in Canadian airlines. “The premium is really high and you’d have to look at the foreign competition rules in Canada,” Chan said, adding that only a few other firms could compete. “You’d have to look at Fairfax and Brookfield as the only plausible ones and I don’t think that’s likely based on their mandates, which is more international than domestic,” Chan said.
The Onex deal for WestJet is particularly positive for Air Transat as it increases the likelihood the Montreal-based company will be acquired — by WestJet, Desjardins Securities analyst Benoit Poirier said in a research note. “Overall, we believe this transaction has positive implications for as ONEX could ultimately look to acquire to complement WestJet’s offering, in our view,” Poirier said.