When Airlines Fight, Children Win

WestJet, Canada’s biggest low-cost airline, “unreservedly apologizes” to Air Canada for an episode of industrial espionage, in a joint statement released on Monday. WestJet, the fast-growing low-cost airline, admitted that it snooped in Air Canada’s computer files, using a password provided by a former employee. “This conduct was both unethical and unacceptable and WestJet accepts full responsibility for such misconduct,” the statement reads. To settle their dispute, WestJet agreed to pay Air Canada’s investigation and litigation costs of $5.5 million and will donate $10 million to children’s charities. WestJet, based in Calgary, was founded in 1996 and modeled after Southwest Airlines. The company operates a fleet of Boeing 737s and has won numerous awards for innovative management.