WestJet pilots reject long-haul flights deal

Pilots at WestJet Airlines Ltd. have rejected an agreement that would have allowed the airline to expand its fleet of wide-body aircraft and offer more long-haul flights.

“We are disappointed in the outcome of the vote and will be meeting with the WestJet Pilots’ Association over the coming weeks to determine next steps,” WestJet spokeswoman Lauren Stewart said in an email.

The WestJet Pilots’ Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Stewart said she couldn’t confirm what percentage of pilots rejected the tentative deal.

The CBC reported that 80 per cent of pilots voted against an agreement that would have offered more hourly pay to all pilots, and higher pay to those who fly wide-body jets, but would also have converted their stock options to base pay.

A second agreement that would have allowed pilots to keep their stock options but offered more pay only to those who fly wide-body jets was rejected by 57 per cent of voters, according to the CBC.

Reaching a new agreement with its pilots is key to WestJet’s expansion strategy, which saw the airline launch its first wide-body flights to London this past summer using a fleet of four used Boeing 767s.

Those aircraft, which are between 23 and 25 years old, initially proved to be a bit of an albatross for WestJet. Maintenance issues, which the airline blamed on a maintenance repair organization used by Boeing Co., resulted in several delayed or cancelled flights and significant