WestJet predicts ongoing flight cancellations following hailstorm for the foreseeable future
WestJet has announced that flight cancellations will continue “for the foreseeable future” as a result of damage to planes caused by a hailstorm in Calgary last week. This unexpected event has disrupted travel plans for thousands of passengers.
The airline, ranked as the country’s second-largest carrier, reports that 16 aircraft, accounting for 10% of its fleet, are still undergoing repairs nine days after the hailstorm unleashed golf ball-sized hail on parts of southern Alberta, including the province’s main airport.
Following damage assessments, WestJet states that the process of acquiring specialized equipment and materials to complete repairs and inspections will take several weeks.
Since August 5, WestJet has had to cancel over 600 flights, leading to an average of 50 flights being canceled daily and impacting more than 20,000 customers.
The company, headquartered in Calgary, anticipates fewer flight cancellations as the affected planes return to service later in the month, expressing empathy for the inconvenience experienced by passengers due to the storm.
WestJet is currently dealing with a significant increase in calls and emails as it assists passengers with rescheduling or obtaining refunds.
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According to experts, airfares are expected to increase in the short term due to the reduced flight capacity resulting from the hailstorm, which also caused damage to the domestic terminal at Calgary airport and four aircraft at Flair Airlines and Cargojet.
