Category: WestJet

Ottawa Greenlights WestJet’s Takeover of Sunwing

The federal government gave the thumbs-up Friday to WestJet Airlines’ takeover of Sunwing Airlines and Sunwing Vacations in a major consolidation of the Canadian aviation market following a tumultuous year for travel. Proposed last March, the takeover will see Calgary-based WestJet bolster its vacation package offerings as it adds the tour operator to its fleet,…


WestJet Customers Offered 7.5-Hour Bus Ride to Destination After Flight Cancelled

WestJet customers were rebooked on a seven-and-a-half-hour bus trip from Calgary to Regina after their afternoon flight was cancelled Sunday. Passengers said they were informed less than three hours before boarding that the one-hour flight between the two cities had been cancelled and that they could reach their destination via “ground transportation” that would have them…


WestJet Temporarily Suspends Summer Transatlantic Flights Between Halifax and Europe

WestJet has announced it will temporarily suspend its summer transatlantic service for all flights between Halifax and Europe due to “capacity constraints.” In a Jan. 30 statement, the airline said it would engage with local stakeholders and community members to reconsider the return of transatlantic service in 2024. “Halifax remains an integral part of our…


Weather and Industry Mostly to Blame for Travel Chaos, Transport Minister Tells Committee

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said at the opening of a Commons committee on Jan. 12 that his government was not “hiding” and that it would assume its responsibilities regarding the travel chaos that occurred over the holidays, but he mostly put the blame on the weather and the industry. “What do you want me to…


Sunwing Received 7,000 Complaints to Date on Travel Chaos, House Committee Hears

Canadian airline executives faced Members of Parliament at a Commons committee on Jan. 12 to explain what led to the travel chaos over the holidays and how they would compensate passengers, with 7,000 of them having filed complaints with carrier Sunwing to date. Members of the transport committee and other participating MPs of all parties…


Some Canadians Set to Return From Mexico’s Mazatlan Area as Airports Reopen

Some Canadian tourists in Mexico’s Sinaloa state finally began their delayed journey home on Saturday after a wave of violence erupted in the region, shuttering airports and prompting an advisory to shelter in place. Two airports in the northwestern area of Mexico have reopened, with international flights scheduled on Saturday from Mazatlan to cities in…


More Flight Delays Possible as Storm Approaches Toronto

A major winter storm bearing down on Toronto is adding to the calamity in Canadian airports already plagued by flight cancellations and delays set off early this week by heavy snow in Vancouver. Environment Canada says Toronto’s storm will begin today with rain or snow followed by plummeting temperatures, a potential flash freeze and blizzard-like…


Expect More Flight Cancellations and Disruptions After Weekend Outage, WestJet Says

Flight cancellations continued today after WestJet’s system-wide outage on Sunday led to halted flights, long customer service wait times and other disruptions. The Calgary-based airline says another 31 flights are cancelled today due to the effects of the system outage combined with winter weather affecting Alberta and parts of Western Canada. Over the weekend, a…


WestJet Says It’s Back Online After Global Outage, but More Disruptions Expected

TORONTO—WestJet says a system−wide outage that caused delays and cancellations across its entire network has been resolved, but it still expects further disruptions. The airline tweeted this morning that all its systems were online and stable, and that teams were busy working to recover from the outage. The Calgary−based airline said yesterday the outage prevented…


WestJet Employees File Lawsuit Against Employer and Ottawa Over Vaccine Mandate

A group of 176 current and former employees of air carrier WestJet filed a lawsuit on Oct. 5  against their employer and the federal government over the imposition of the vaccine mandate. “Collaborating with airlines and corporate stakeholders, the Canadian Government implemented punitive and divisive Covid-19 vaccination mandates, creating a two-tier society stoked only by fear,”…