The De Havilland Q400 planes operated by WestJet are by any metrics large and heavy planes, with more than 10,000 horsepower from two turboprops required to lift the 65,000 lbs of the plane itself, plus passengers and cargo.

But on Sept. 24, aviation employees on 21 teams, 11 from WestJet itself, took to the tarmac outside of Signature Aviation Services to pull one of the planes by people power alone.

The haul was the last stop in a Canadian tour to raise money for charity Hope Air, which provides life-saving air transport for Canadians living in remote and rural locations to major hospitals in urban centres.

Mark Rubinstein, Chief Executive Officer for Hope Air, said that for nearly 40 years, the charity has helped low-income families put their health first and worries aside when they are in medical need.

“If you’re living 700 kilometres or more away, living in a smaller community, often being able to drive is not possible because of winter conditions, or it’s just way too stressful based on your health condition. So, air travel and airlines become a lifeline,” he said.

“The magic of Hope Air, working in partnership with airlines like WestJet, is to get somebody from Fort McMurray to Calgary, Grand Prairie to Calgary, or even patients who have to travel out of province to care as quickly and as efficiently as possible.”

Teams in Calgary from WestJet, Signature, and the Calgary International Airport, among others, raised more than $56,000 for Hope Air. Each of the teams had to raise at least $3,500 to participate in the plane pull.

The pull was the second time it has been held in Calgary, after an inaugural pull in 2024.

“That’s going to support hundreds and hundreds of families who are wondering who’s going to help them, who’s going to reach out to them, who’s going to be there at their most vulnerable, and that’s the work of Hope Air,” said Rubinstein.

“We’re so grateful to all of the partners, the companies, the individuals, especially all those who came in costume today to help us pull a plane haul for hope and help patients in need.”

Close to 14,000 flights will be delivered for patients and families by the charity this year, said Rubinstein.

Hope Air helping to save lives, and families

One of those patients who Hope Air helped was Calgarian Sarah Postle, who was flown from Calgary to Toronto so that she could donate a portion of her liver to her cousin, Austin.

“My cousin Austin, he was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis when he was just eight years old. He managed to live with the illness for many years, but by the time he turned 30, he was very sick and needed a liver transplant. I never expected I could help him, but one day, I received an email asking if I could consider being a liver donor,” she said.

“That’s when I was introduced to Hope Air. The transplant coordinator suggested I reach out, and honestly, I was shocked by how easily they made everything. They didn’t just arrange flights. They also provided me with a hotel, meal vouchers, and even an Uber coupon. Suddenly, what felt overwhelming, all the blood work, disease screening, CTS, MRIs and psychological evaluations became more manageable.”

She said that today Austin is healthy and is preparing to get married this November.

Rubinstein said that he often hears from patients about the work that Hope Air does.

“I’ve heard our client care key team talked about as angels. As we often say, it’s like a good neighbour holding the hand of a patient from the moment they leave their house, getting to the airport, getting on an airplane, getting to a hotel, being treated, and then helping them all the way to get back home,” he said.

“Patients are immensely grateful people who are at their most vulnerable and helpless time, and to see a charity step forward with all of the supporters that make this possible is a miracle for people.”

Alexis von Hoensbroech, Chief Executive Officer for WestJet, said that the cooperation between WestJet and Hope Air goes back to the very founding of the airline in 1996.

“It’s one of the community support activities that we do and that we are very proud of,” he said.

“Air travel is clearly a very essential service in a country like ours. It’s the second-largest country in the world, and it has a very low population density, so you have a lot of communities that don’t have any access to the outside world unless they fly. So, air connectivity and affordability of air travel is absolutely critical, and this serves all needs. Those that probably need it most are those that need air travel for medical treatment.”

He said he was proud of the 150 WestJet staff who showed up, many in costume, to support Hope Air.

“It shows that our team members, they are passionate beyond just doing business. They want to contribute to the communities that we serve. They are proud about it. They are passionate about it, and this makes me very, very happy,” said von Hoensbroech.