WestJet said Wednesday that the airline will continue to proactively cancel flights — an average of 50 per day — through August as the airline works to return to service the 16 aircraft damaged by a hailstorm in Calgary.
The Calgary-based airline said it would “continue to proactively make cancellations for the foreseeable future” after a comprehensive assessment of the damaged aircraft “showed that obtaining specialized equipment and materials and conducting repairs and inspections will take several weeks.”
“We share Canadians’ frustration with the unpredictability of this summer travel season and are incredibly disappointed that the amplified impacts of last week’s hailstorm continue to disrupt our valued guests’ travel plans,” said Diederik Pen, WestJet’s chief operating officer, in a press release.
WestJet says it is currently cancelling an average of 50 flights a day, but expects that number to fall as planes are returned to service in a “phased” manner.
WestJet has grounded 16 aircraft – more than 10 percent of its fleet – after a severe hailstorm hit Calgary earlier this month. Calgary International Airport was hit by hail, forcing parts of the domestic terminal to close indefinitely for repairs.
Experts believe that airfares could rise immediately after the hailstorm, as a significant reduction in capacity is likely to increase demand on other airlines and drive up ticket prices during the peak summer travel season.
With files from The Canadian Press
Alicja Siekierska is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow her on Twitter @alicjawithaj.
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