WestJet today issued the following statement from President and CEO Ed Sims regarding the application for certification of its cabin crew members. WestJet received formal notice from Canada's Industrial Relations Board today at 11:49 a.m. ET.

"We respect the rights of our employees to choose their representation. Although we prefer to work directly with our employee groups as we have since 1996, we are dedicated to moving forward and will concentrate on the continued success of the organization for guests, employees and shareholders."