WestJet temporarily suspends some routes due to ongoing MAX groundings

WestJet has announced it is temporarily suspending some of its routes due to the ongoing grounding of Boeing’s MAX aircrafts.

“As the timeline of the MAX grounding remains unknown, pre-emptive updates to our flight schedule have been made to reduce the number of last-minute cancellations and disruption,” says the airline, which has adjusted its schedule through to July 3, 2019.

“Regardless of when the aircraft are approved to return to service, we will provide nothing less than 100 per cent assurance to our guests and WestJetters that all processes, procedures and decisions will to be made with safety at the forefront.”

WestJet continues to say it has made “the difficult decision” to temporarily suspend routes where no alternative aircraft were available.

See also

• Air Canada extends grounding of 737 MAX until August
• Boeing to cut production rate of its 737 Max jets this week
• Government grounds all Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 9 in Canada

The routes affected are the following:

• Flights between Halifax and Paris have been suspended from June 3 through August 2, 2019. The airline says it is in the process of contacting affected guests who will be rebooked through either Calgary, non-stop on their Dreamliner to Paris, or with one of their partner airlines through Toronto, Montreal or New York.

• Flights between Edmonton and Ottawa have been suspended from June 3 through July 3, 2019. WestJet is in the process of contacting affected guests who will be rebooked through either Calgary or Toronto on WestJet-operated flights.

• Flights between Edmonton and Montreal have been suspended from June 3 through July 3, 2019. They are in the process of contacting affected guests who will be rebooked through either Calgary or Toronto on WestJet-operated flights.

• Flights between Toronto and Kelowna have been suspended from June 3 through June 27, 2019. The airline is in the process of contacting affected guests who will be rebooked through either Calgary, Toronto or Edmonton on WestJet-operated flights.

• Flights between Vancouver and Regina have been suspended from June 3 through July 3, 2019. WestJet is in the process of contacting affected guests who will be rebooked through either Calgary or Edmonton on WestJet-operated flights.

WestJet also says that the MAX grounding comprised over 1,000 monthly departures in their June schedules, but they have been able to cover more than 700 of the flights where the MAX was originally scheduled, with other aircrafts.

Last week, Air Canada announced it is extending the grounding of its 737 MAX planes until August 1, 2019. While earlier this month, Boeing announced that it will be cutting the production rate of all 737 MAX 8 and 9 fleets.

On March 13, Canada’s Transportation Minister Marc Garneau said that as a result of new data received, a safety notice was issued to restrict the commercial operation of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 models in Canada and Canadian airspace.

The announcement came three days after an Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed on March 10, killing all 157 passengers on board, including 18 Canadians.