BackhomeinSaltLakeCity,Neelemandabbledalittlewithbeingaventurecapitalist,butendeduplosingmoney.HewasapproachedbyagroupofCanadianswhowereintheprocessofsettingupanewregionalairlinetobebasedinCalgary.Davidagreedtoactasaconsultant,andeventuallyendedupjoiningtheboardofdirectorsofthenewairline,WestJet.Neelemanevenpurchased800,000sharesinthecompanyfor$200,000Canadian,asdidtheothermembersoftheboard.Davidhelpeddevelopthebusinessplanforthenewairline.
NeelemanalsoworkedwithDavidEvans,formerheadofITatMorrisAir,tosetupanewcompanytosellasimplifiedticketlessreservationsystemtoairlines.ThisfirmlatercalledOpenSkies,aswellastheCanadianstart-upairlineWestJet,allowedDavidNeelemantostayinvolvedintheairlineindustrywithoutbreakingthetermsofhisnon-competeagreement.
WestJetraisedmorethan$18millioninfundingonthestrengthofitsbusinessplanandcommencedserviceinFebruary1996.ThecompanywasabighitandflewpackedplanesbetweenCalgary,Edmonton,Vancouver,Kelowna,WinnipegandVictoria.NeelemanalsomanagedtogetWestJettousetheOpenSkiesreservationsystem.Ineffect,DavidNeelemanmanagedtouseWestJettobetatestallthetechnologiesandbusinessconceptsofthelow-costcustomer-servicemodelhehopedtoemploywhenitcametimetostarthisnextU.S.airlineventure.
BothWestJetandOpenSkiesdidverywell.Infact,Hewlett-Packardpaid$20milliontobuyOpenSkiesinOctober1998,andmadeitadivisionofthecompany.Similarly,WestJetwasacommercialsuccess.ThecompanycarriedoutanIPOinJune1999toraiseenoughmoneytogrowtheairlinefurther.NeelemansoldouthisshareholdinginWestJetshortlyaftertheIPOandleftthecompanytostartworkingonownU.S.airlinebusinesswhichheplannedonlaunchingassoonashisnon-competeagreementexpired.
NeelemanwentbacktoMichaelLazaruswhohadhelpedraisefundsforMorrisAir,andtoldhimhewantedtojoinforceswithhimtostartanewairline.
"Ilaughed,andsaid:'Whoneedsanairline?'ThenIrealizedthiswasnospur-of-the-momentidea.David'saplanner,astrategist.Hehadmelockedup.Hehadallthesedeepthoughts,like:'Let'sflywhereallthepeoplelive'.Ithoughthewasoutofhismind.Themoreheexpandedonthewhyandwhere,themoresenseitmade.Bytheendofthemeeting,Iwasn'tlaughinganymore.Thiswasaverybigidea.Wehadalotofsoulsearchingandresearchtodo."??????????????