The strike led the carrier to cancel more than 800 flights and park 130 aircraft at 13 airports across the country
WestJet has reached a deal with its mechanics to end a strike that had disrupted the travel plans of tens of thousands of travellers over the Canada Day long weekend.
In a news release on its website, WestJet said there will still be flight disruptions in the week ahead as its planes are brought back into service.
“The damage to Canadians and our airline is massive, a swift resolution was necessary; we take no victory laps on this outcome but will sleep better tonight knowing further harm has been prevented,” airline president Diederik Pen said in the release, which was posted late Sunday.
The Calgary-based airline is advising that not all flights have been reinstated and recommended travellers check the status of their flight before leaving for the airport.
In its own news release, the Airplane Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) urged its members to return to work immediately pending a vote on the temporary agreement.
“We believe this outcome would not have been possible without the strike, but we do regret the disruption and inconvenience it has caused the travelling public over the Canada Day holiday period,” the union said in its statement.
“We are pleased the strike lasted only 48 hours and that service can now return to normal.
Passengers’ route to compensation will be decided by transportation regulator: aviation expert
With more than 100,000 passengers affected by the strike, many will be seeking compensation from WestJet over the coming weeks.
But it’s unclear whether WestJet will be required to cover those costs, which could likely amount to $1,000 per passenger, said John Gradek, aviation expert and professor as McGill University.
On its website, WestJet says a labour disruption within the carrier or within an essential service provider is considered outside air carrier control and as a result, travel plans impacted by a strike aren’t eligible for compensation according to Air Passenger Protection Regulations.
The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA), Canada’s transportation regulator, will have to determine whether WestJet played an active role in the work stoppage.
“As far as I’m concerned, my reading of it is (that) it is within the airline’s control … I bet you (WestJet) is in deep conversation today with the CTA to minimize the impact of this, because it is going to get expensive,” Gradek said.
Normal operations likely to resume later this week
Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan posted on X, saying “Canadians’ patience having been worn too thin. Collective bargaining is the responsibility of the parties. The responsibility of the government is to facilitate and mediate that bargaining. The parties finally did their jobs.”
The vast majority of Sunday’s trips were called off as WestJet pared down its 180-plane fleet to 32 active aircraft and topped the global list for cancellations among major airlines over the weekend.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who previously lamented that the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) allowing the strike was a contravention of precedent, welcomed the end of the strike.
“The news is welcome. It’s good to see that both parties have reached a tentative agreement,” Smith wrote in a post to X.
The resolution won’t put an immediate end to travellers’ frustrations — and many have already resolved their travel woes by taking more expensive alternatives. McGill’s Gradek said he expects the airline to return to normal by Thursday or Friday.