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DALLAS — Today, WestJet (WS) continued canceling flights as a result of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association’s (AMFA) strike action.
It seems that WS' announcement that the AMFA had rescinded its strike notice last week, with both parties "jointly agreeing to return to the bargaining table to continue work towards finding a resolution," was not enough for them to find a resolution to avoid further disruption to flight operations.
The airline warned early morning that, as a result of the strike action from the AMFA, today's "initial 150 flight cancellations will impact approximately 20,000 guests with limited reaccommodation options available."
To make matters worse, a second airline release states that the AMFA strike has now forced WS to issue 235 additional flight cancellations "causing mass disruption to travel over the Canada Day weekend."
To minimize the disruptions, WS has asked for swift intervention by the Minister of Labour and the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB).
Total Cancellations
Thursday, June 27
- 25 cancellations
- 3300 guests impacted
Friday, June 28
- 150 cancellations
- 20,000 guests impacted
Saturday, June 29
- 235 cancellations
- 33,000 guests impacted
WestJet advises its customers to check the status of their flight prior to leaving for the airport. Today, the airline has begun parking aircraft in stations across Canada with the intention of operating a significantly reduced schedule by end of day.
“A strike serves no one, as this negotiation has already been referred to binding arbitration. We know how painful this is for our guests and our people; however, we must start the immediate and safe parking of our aircraft,” said Diederik Pen, President of WestJet Airlines and Group Chief Operating Officer.
“The scale of this deliberate disruption is devastating and AMFA must be held accountable for their reckless actions. Without immediate intervention, significant disruption will unnecessarily harm tens of thousands of Canadians along with the entire economic ecosystem that depends on our critical air service.”
WestJet says it had more than 250,000 guests scheduled to fly across the long weekend.
Featured image: Ryan Scottini/Airways
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