Westjet passengers surprised by 'impromptu' speech by CEO on flight
Westjet passengers on a flight from Toronto were surprised when the airline's CEO stood up to give an impromptu speech before takeoff.
Darren Dreger, a sportscaster for TSN, told CTV News Toronto he was on a flight from Toronto to Calgary on Wednesday when Alexis von Hoensbroech got up and spoke to passengers.
"He gave an impromptu speech prior to take off on a flight from Toronto to Calgary," Dreger said. "He's a very pleasant man."
Dreger said von Hoensbroech thanked passengers for their business, and encouraged anyone who was interested in speaking with him to come visit him in Row 7, which was an economy seat.
In a statement to CTV News Toronto, Westjet said von Hoensbroech has made it "standard practice" for him, or any other member of the executive leadership team, to greet and welcome guests anytime they are onboard a Westjet flight.
Dreger’s tweet about the incident – in which he asked followers if they could confirm if the man speaking was in fact von Hoensbroech – has been viewed more than 650,000 times.
von Hoensbroech, who has been the WestJet CEO since February 2022, responded to Dreger on Twitter saying "Confirmed. It's me."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.