Westjet Airlines: Information Technologygovernance and Corporate Strategy

W13308

WESTJET AIRLINES: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY GOVERNANCE

AND CORPORATE STRATEGY

Malcolm C. Munro and Sharaz Khan wrote this case solely to provide material for class discussion. The authors do not intend to

illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a managerial situation. The authors may have disguised certain names and other

identifying information to protect confidentiality.

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Copyright © 2013, Richard Ivey School of Business Foundation

Version: 2013-07-24

By any reasonable measure, WestJet Airlines had been a remarkable success. The company began modestly

in 1996 as a regional carrier flying three used Boeing 737-200 aircraft to five western Canadian cities. By

2011, the airline boasted a fleet of more than 90 Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft serving 85

destinations in 18 countries and employed over nine thousand people. The company had become the secondlargest carrier in Canada and ninth largest in North America. It described itself as a “high-value, low-fare

airline” with a corporate culture focused on delivering a “world-class guest experience.” Information

technology (IT) had played an important role in WestJet’s success over the years. The IT organization,

structure and staff had grown up around the business. IT remained relatively small, at least compared to IT

divisions at other companies of WestJet’s size, but was highly competent from a technical perspective. The

systems were proprietary, i.e., built and maintained within WestJet,...