WestJet cancels 300+ flights as nasty winter weather slams Canada

It’s been a nail-biting week to be a traveller in Canada, where inclement weather has caused delays and cancellations at major airports. According to WestJet alone, they’ve seen more than 300 cancellations across their networks.

Daily Hive reached out to WestJet to learn more about how cancellations affect passengers and what the airline is doing as severe winter weather impacts its operations.

“We understand the frustration and disappointment this has caused, and our teams are working to re-accommodate guests as quickly as possible,” a WestJet rep told Daily Hive.

“The ongoing extreme cold weather warnings impacting Alberta and prolonged forecasted snow and weather events for regions across BC, inclusive of Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland and the Okanagan, continue to prove challenging as we work to stabilize our operations and ensure the safety of our crews,” said WestJet.

Total cancellation summary across WestJet’s network:

Sunday – 104 cancellations
Monday – 146 cancellations
Tuesday – 90 cancellations as of 12 pm MST

“In response to the ongoing weather-related challenges, some airports operations were suspended temporarily, and many have initiated departure management programs due to runway conditions and de-icing capacity.”

YVR airport has particularly struggled with delays and cancellations after more than 20 cm of snow fell overnight. Passengers shared on social media how they were forced to sleep in the airport or were even stuck on the tarmac waiting to deplane for hours.

Hey @WestJet wheres our hotel voucher for our cancelled flight and reschedule info? #strandedinyvr

— tbeerejo (@tbeerejo) December 19, 2022

WestJet says that all information about flight interruptions is available on its website.

“In an effort to assist those with imminent travel plans, we are asking guests to refrain from contacting us until 72 hours in advance of their flight to ensure we are able to prioritize immediate travel support for our guests. Re-accommodation options for impacted guests are being provided and communicated through email as soon as they are available,” says WestJet.

For YVR’s part, most scheduled flights have either been cancelled or delayed as staff work to provide food, water, and assistance to passengers.

YVR UPDATE (1:20 PM) – The winter storm that hit Metro Vancouver and Southern B.C. overnight has resulted in an unprecedented number of cancelled flights. Airport employees as well as our partners are doing everything possible to assist those currently in the terminal. 🧵

— YVR (@yvrairport) December 20, 2022

It started snowing again in Vancouver on Tuesday afternoon, and in total, there could be 50 cm of snow on the ground by Friday.

So if you’re travelling this week, double-check with your airline and the local airports to see the latest updates.

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