WestJet cancels flights as strike looms

Talks with pilots are at a ‘critical impasse’ jeopardizing plans for thousands of passengers

WestJet cancelled more than 100 flights on Thursday after talks with the pilots’ union hit a “critical impasse,” throwing travel plans into turmoil for thousands of passengers ahead of the May long weekend.

Some 1,800 pilots at the carrier and its Swoop subsidiary were poised to walk off the job as of 3 a.m. MT after the Air Line Pilots Association served a strike notice Monday.

CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said late afternoon Thursday that the two sides are “still significantly apart,” but noted both remained at the negotiating table despite the “stalemate” — until past 3 a.m. Thursday morning.

“We basically announced to them that we will lock out all pilots as of tomorrow morning at 3 a.m.” — if a tentative deal is not reached — he said in a phone interview from a hotel near Toronto’s Pearson airport.

“Everyone knows that things have to come to a head now. And I truly hope that we can come come up with something that works,” he said, from outside the windowless bargaining room.

WestJet began to park the bulk of its fleet Thursday morning using a “measured, phased and safe approach,” the Calgary-based company said.

As of early Thursday evening, the carrier had cancelled 111 flights or 31 per cent of those scheduled for the day, according to tracking service FlightAware.

The vast majority were out of Calgary or Toronto, with affected routes ranging from London to Las Vegas, Barcelona and Saskatoon.

Would-be travellers voiced their frustration on social media, with some saying they’d been stuck on the customer service line for hours and others posting screenshots of problems with refund processing.

Raahina Somani found herself marooned in Calgary on her way back to Vancouver from Edmonton after WestJet cancelled her Thursday

night flight.

“Everything’s already gotten booked up. I’m not really sure what we’re going to do,” the master’s student said, noting options with other airlines are becoming slimmer and costlier.

“The prices have become so high. For me, my grandma and my dad to go back it’s going to be upwards of $1,000.”

As of Thursday evening, 29 flights or eight per cent of those scheduled on Friday have been cancelled. Passengers are now unable to make online bookings for WestJet trips on major routes such as CalgaryVancouver and Toronto-Calgary until Tuesday.

As of Thursday evening, WestJet had cancelled 111 flights or 31 per cent of those scheduled for the day