Canada’s WestJet grounds flights as flight attendants strike

WestJet grounded its fleet overnight after flight attendants walked off the job.

Canada’s second-largest airline flies on average 458 daily flights, including two-thirds of those from Calgary International Airport (YYC), schedule data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows. WestJet is a close partner of Delta Air Lines.

All WestJet-operated flights are canceled, except those flown by its regional affiliate, WestJet Encore, which continues to operate. Encore flies 35 de Havilland Canada Dash 8-Q400s from bases at YYC and Vancouver International Airport (YVR).

WestJet serves 27 destinations in the U.S., Cirium schedules show. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) are its largest American gateways by departures.

WestJet is allowing all travelers with flights booked through Aug. 4 to make a one-time flight change or cancellation with no fee.

Why flight attendants are on strike

The main disagreement between the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents flight attendants at WestJet, and the airline is over pay. The union demands crew members be paid for all time worked, including time on the ground with the door open.

Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter

Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts

Few flight attendants are paid for time on the ground when the door is open, including the time spent at the airport, boarding and deplaning. Air Canada began paying its cabin crew members for boarding time in 2025 after a three-day strike, and in 2022, Delta began paying its flight attendants half their hourly rate for boarding.

WestJet said in a statement that it has offered the union “an industry-leading, transformative agreement.”

Hundreds of WestJet flights have been canceled leaving many passengers stranded.

Related reading:

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Source link