Calgary-based Canadian airline Westjet says it has been forced to ground 10% of its entire aircraft fleet after 16 planes sustained ‘significant’ damage when a severe hailstorm struck Calgary Airport on Monday evening.
The embattled carrier has warned passengers that delays and cancellations should be expected for the ‘foreseeable’ future as the airline works out exactly what kind of repairs the damaged aircraft will need before they can be returned to service.
Although the storm was forecast in advance, Westjet president and chief operating officer Diederik Pen told stranded passengers that the airline only became aware of the true threat the severe weather event posed just 30 minutes before it struck.
At the time, Westjet had 22 aircraft parked in the open at its home base and there was only time to move four aircraft under cover into the airline’s hangars.
Two of the remaining 18 aircraft only sustained minor damage and have already been returned to service but the remaining 16 airplanes that were stuck outside during the storm have been grounded “significant hail damage”.
In a statement, Westjet said its teams were “working diligently to understand and address the damage caused to its fleet by an unprecedented hailstorm that moved through WestJet’s global hub in Calgary on the evening of August 5, 2024.”
“Following a comprehensive safety assessment, WestJet has determined that 16 of its aircraft, comprising 10 per cent of its total fleet capacity, require substantial repairs and inspections before returning to service,” the statement continued.
Calgary Airport sustained significant damage during the storm as rainwater poured through parts of the ceiling inside the domestic terminal and a major cleanup operation is still underway.
Pen also says Westjet’s Calgary-based employees have endured damage to their homes and vehicles, which is causing extra strain for the airline.
So far, Westjet has been forced to cancel nearly 250 flights since Monday evening, although damage to even more aircraft was narrowly avoided after the airline managed to divert nine planes en route to Calgary to alternative airports.
Westjet has posted a travel advisory and is allowing passengers to change and cancel their flight-only bookings from August 5 through August 8 at the earliest.
On Tuesday, Westjet was forced to cancel 106 flights, but the cancellation rate was reduced to just 84 on Wednesday, and it’s hoped that the airline will be able to cancel even further flights on Thursday and Friday.
