WestJet cancels some 40 flights in anticipation of strike by mechanics

CALGARY — The WestJet Group has cancelled about 40 flights in anticipation of a possible strike by its aircraft maintenance workers on Thursday.

The airline says about 6,500 travellers have been affected by the decision to cover flights on Tuesday and Wednesday. WestJet says it started cancelling and consolidating its flights in order to park aircraft in a safe and organized manner.

“We are immensely disheartened that we are in a position where we must activate our contingency plan and begin parking aircraft as a result of the strike notice served by AMFA. We deeply regret the disruption this will have on the travel plans of our guests, communities and businesses that rely on our critical air service,” said Diederik Pen, President of WestJet Airlines and Group Chief Operating Officer.

“Following the memberships’ nearly unanimous decision to reject a generous tentative agreement that would have made our Aircraft Maintenance Engineers the highest paid in the country, with a take-home pay increase of 30 to 40 per cent in the first year of the proposed agreement, it is clear that the bargaining process has broken down.”

Some 670 WestJet mechanics, represented by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, are poised to walk off the job as early as Thursday night after serving the airline with strike notice earlier this week.

“We are aware of the labour action by WestJet Aircraft Maintenance Engineers and other Tech Ops employees that may begin as early as 9 p.m. on Thursday,” a spokesperson for Toronto Pearson International Airport wrote on X.

“The airline’s cancelling and consolidating of flights means some of today’s planned flights at Toronto Pearson have been cancelled. We are continuing to monitor this situation and will provide updates if available.”

The flight cancellations came as WestJet waited for a response to its request that the Canadian Industrial Relations Board intervene. If accepted, the move would refer the dispute to arbitration and prevent labour action by both sides, the company says.

The union, whose members voted overwhelmingly to reject a tentative agreement last week, opposes the move.

With files from Lucas Casaletto of CityNews Toronto