Sunwing Travel Group has an offer for to purchase its airline division, the Globe and Mail is reporting.

Stephen Hunter, chief executive of Sunwing, said a non-disclosure agreement with the would-be buyer prevents him from providing details, but more information should be available in the coming weeks.

“The airline is a vehicle in order to get our package customer from point A to point B. So our airline really is the cost department within our tour operator. And therefore, one really can’t go without the other,” he said. “And of course, Sunwing vacations provides about 30 per cent of the customers to our own hotels.”

Mr. Hunter said the deal would help with cash flow airlines await financial help from Ottawa. Earlier this week, Sunwing Vacations and Sunwing Airlines have been given access to $375 million of liquidity to protect jobs in Canada's airline sector with a loan under Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility (LEEFF).

The group is 51-per-cent owned by the family of Mr. Hunter and employs about 3,000 people in Canada. Germany-based tourism and airline company TUI Group owns 49 per cent.

Sunwing has suspended its normal operations until April 30 because of the pandemic.