‘Meltdown’: A week later, WestJet continues to feel the fallout from mechanics strike
WestJet continues to feel the effects of a two-day plane mechanics strike that nearly shut down the airline’s network for 29 hours over the Canada Day long weekend and cost it millions of dollars.
The work stoppage that began on June 28 forced the airline to cancel more than 1,050 flights during one of the busiest travel windows of the year.
Fallout from the unexpected job action continued well into last week, as WestJet called off 244 trips Tuesday through Saturday as well as at least 32 more on Sunday, according to tracking service FlightAware. Figures from the airline suggest at least 170,000 passengers have been affected.
The task of fully resuming flights by a nearly grounded fleet of 180 planes across more than 175 destinations is complex, costly and time-consuming. In an email, WestJet said it was on track to revamp operations promptly.