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More than a thousand flights cancelled during WestJet strike

Credits: Flickr

WestJet has announced the end of its strike that lasted throughout the weekend.

The strike resulted in the cancellation of more than a thousand flights and affected more than 10,000 passengers.

WestJet has been forced to park 130 of its 180 planes at 13 different airports, according to a WestJet news release.

“The damage to Canadians and our airline is enormous, and a swift resolution was necessary,” WestJet Airlines President and Group Chief Operating Officer Diederik Pen said in the news release. “We are not daunted by this outcome, but we will sleep better tonight knowing that further damage was avoided.”

WestJet is working to restore all operations, but London International Airport continues to experience cancellations, with one WestJet flight cancelled from Calgary today at 6:59 p.m.

London International Airport CEO Scott McFadzean said around 650 passengers were affected every day in London.

“We did our best to accommodate them and help them find alternative travel arrangements or accommodation to stay a few more days in the city while their flights were sorted out,” McFadzean said.

McFadzean goes on to say that the strike took airlines and airports across the country by surprise.

“Full resumption of operations will take time and further cancellations will be necessary in the coming days,” WestJet’s news release said.

The press release highlights the lack of clarity from the government as well as the decisions taken by the CCRI for the strike.

“We want to thank our customers for their patience during this uncertain and stressful time,” Pen said in the press release.