The Calgary-based airline has now parked all but 32 of its 176 aircraft
WestJet has cancelled a total of 832 flights as of Sunday as the airline’s mechanics continued to strike for the third consecutive day.
The Calgary-based airline has now parked all but 32 of its 176 aircraft, decimating its ability to serve flights during a busy long weekend that traditionally marks the beginning of the busy summer travel season.
The cancellations come amid a standoff between WestJet and its mechanics’ union that appears no closer to being resolved.
In a Sunday afternoon update, WestJet President Diederik Pen said the airline is awaiting clarity from the federal government that a strike and arbitration cannot exist at the same time. Some 680 workers — whose inspections and repairs are critical to airline operations — walked off the job on Friday despite a directive for binding arbitration from the federal labour minister.
Calgary International Airport’s departures schedule on Sunday was covered in red, with more than 110 flights outbound of Calgary cancelled as of noon.
More to come…
