WestJet cancelled more than 300 flights on Monday, August 3, representing about 62 percent of its scheduled departures amid a one-day flight attendants’ strike in Canada. The labour action caused widespread disruptions across the airline’s domestic and international routes, including cancellations, delays, and rescheduling.
As of Tuesday, August 4, Cirium data showed 16 WestJet flights had been cancelled by 11 a.m. Eastern Time, as the airline entered a recovery phase to normalize operations. WestJet put several 737 aircraft into storage ahead of the strike and repositioned crews and aircraft across Canada, Europe, and North America to manage its network.
WestJet
is unable to specify the exact timeline for full recovery but estimates suggest normalization could take until Friday or Saturday, August 7 or 8, with the full backlog clearing over seven to 10 days. The airline advises passengers to check flight status frequently before travelling, as disruptions remain during the resumption of service.
Passengers stranded overseas reported difficulties. Marsha Manuel, who was travelling from Lisbon to Miramichi, New Brunswick, described how her overnight cancelled flight had not been rebooked nor had she received accommodation or meal vouchers from WestJet for nearly 24 hours. Many travellers experienced long hold times when
trying to contact WestJet’s customer service during the disruption.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees representing WestJet flight attendants, CUPE 8125, announced a tentative agreement that ended the strike. ‘‘WestJet Mainline flight attendants have reached a tentative agreement after strike action helped bring the parties to a resolution. With the strike now over, flight attendants will be returning to work,’’ the union said in a statement.
WestJet confirmed that guests impacted by strike-related cancellations or delays will be refunded or re-accommodated according to applicable policies. The airline extended a flexible cancellation policy allowing one-time changes or cancellations without fees on
flights scheduled up to and including August 6, 2026, provided changes are made at least two hours before departure. This policy covers WestJet Vacations, Sunwing, and Vacances WestJet Québec bookings.
Canadian Air Passenger Protection Regulations administered by the Canadian Transportation Agency require WestJet to provide timely information and alternative travel arrangements for cancelled or delayed flights due to the strike. Passengers delayed over three hours are entitled to meal vouchers and accommodations when applicable. Alternative travel must be offered within 48 hours, including on competitor airlines if necessary, and nearby airports may be utilized for rebooking beyond that timeframe.
John
Gradek, an aviation management lecturer at McGill University, explained that the complexities in restarting WestJet’s network post-strike involve repositioning crews and aircraft that took days to realign. ‘‘Realistically, we’re looking at Friday or Saturday before the network resembles normal, and a week to 10 days to fully clear the backlog — because this is peak summer, the flights still operating are already full, and there’s almost no room to reaccommodate people,’’ Gradek said. He advised travellers not to cancel and rebook on their own to maintain protections under the Air Passenger Protection Regulations.
WestJet reported that over 250,000 guests had
travel plans cancelled during the August long weekend, including disruptions before and during the one-day strike. The airline continues to manage widespread impacts across domestic and international routes while working to restore scheduled service.
WestJet urges passengers to keep monitoring flight statuses as normal operations resume and recovery continues amid the aftermath of the labour disruption.
