Wednesday, June 19, 2024 WestJet cancels and combines flights to prepare for a potential strike by Aircraft Maintenance Engineers and Tech Ops staff, aiming to minimize passenger disruptions. In anticipation of a potential strike by WestJet Aircraft Maintenance Engineers and Tech Ops staff, WestJet Group has begun to cancel and combine flights. This measure is to facilitate the orderly parking of planes.
By doing so, the airline aims to keep passengers and crew well-informed and reduce the risk of leaving them stranded, as well as prevent the aircraft from being left in distant areas. WestJet Group’s move to cancel flights is pending an expected intervention by the Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) under the provisions of the Canada Labour Code. Should the CIRB decide to step in, it would send both WestJet and the Aircraft Maintenance Engineers Association (AMFA) to arbitration to negotiate their initial collective agreement, effectively blocking any strikes from either side.
“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 ten.
