WestJet began cancelling some flights on Saturday in a bid to avoid stranding passengers as the deadline for a possible flight attendants strike looms.
“To ensure the integrity of WestJet’s network, and to minimize the risk of stranding guests and aircraft, the airline has started to issue cancellations and reduce flying,” WestJet said in a press release early Saturday morning.
WestJet said there have been 81 network-wide cancellations, as of 12:30 a.m. Eastern Time Saturday.
“We remain at the table, committed to reaching an agreement that recognizes the important contributions and professionalism of our cabin crew,” the Calgary-based airline wrote.
WestJet is urging passengers to check the status of their flight before heading to the airport. The airline is allowing passengers travelling between July 30 and Aug. 4 to make a one-time change or cancellation with no fees.
In an earlier update Friday, WestJet said it “must begin the difficult process of parking 737 aircraft” to prepare for the potential strike.
Earlier on Friday, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represents 4,400 WestJet flight attendants, said that it was working hard to avoid a labour disruption after it gave the airline a 72-hour strike notice on Thursday.
“We have made some progress, and the issues remaining need to be resolved at the table. We are hopeful that we can still avoid a strike and remain committed to resolving this there,” said Alia Hussain, president of CUPE 8125.
Both WestJet and CUPE have indicated that they are actively seeking to reach an agreement. If that fails, thousands of passengers could be forced to suspend or change their travel plans during the August long weekend.
Following the union’s strike threats on Thursday, WestJet issued a 72-hour lockout notice to employees, saying that a work stoppage could occur as early as 2:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Sunday.
As of Friday, WestJet said code-share flights operated by airline partners and those operated on a Q400 aircraft remain unaffected.
Early childhood educator Julie Coombe, 51, is due to fly back to Canada from England on Aug. 4. She says the possibility of a strike has “added another layer of uncertainty (to) what has already been one of the most difficult periods of my life.”
She had travelled to England in May to care for her father, who died earlier this month.
“My biggest concern isn’t missing a holiday. It’s getting home to my husband and daughters and returning to work after being away for several months,” Coombe said.
Coombe, who paid $2,200 for her return flight, is hoping the flight attendants and the airline will come to an agreement soon.
“Because I’ve been away much longer than planned, further delays could become both financially and emotionally stressful.”
Rafael Gomez, associate professor of employment relations at the University of Toronto, emphasized that a lockout and a strike would be a “lose-lose” situation for both parties.
“This is a time when the joint costs of strike are very high,” he said. “It’s very high for WestJet because it’s the peak travel season, and it’s high for the flight attendants because they lose wages.”
The possible WestJet flight attendants strike follows other labour disputes in the aviation sector that resulted in flight cancellations in recent years, including the Air Canada strike in the summer of 2025.
Gomez says bargaining talks could go down to the wire.
“This is the last one post-COVID, post inflation spike and I think that there’s probably a lot of pent-up demands that these flight attendants have,” he said.
“It probably takes a lot to go over amending a collective agreement that has a lot to catch up on.”
WestJet’s flight attendants are after some of the same improvements obtained by Air Canada’s flight attendants last year, including getting paid for time they spend working on the ground.
The union has said that flight attendants work up to 35 unpaid hours a month, a claim disputed by the airline.
With files from Josh Rubin, Xavier Mesquita, Sadeen Mohsen and Patty Winsa
