WestJet has been fined by Canada’s federal transportation regulator after passengers travelling to Vancouver Island were left without food, drinks or overnight accommodation when their flight was delayed and eventually cancelled.
According to the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA), the incident involved WestJet flight WS3103, which was scheduled to fly from Calgary International Airport to Nanaimo on February 16th, 2025.
The regulator says passengers waiting for the Vancouver Island flight were not provided with required assistance under Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations, prompting the agency to issue a monetary penalty to the airline on March 5th.
The CTA found that 16 passengers travelling on the Nanaimo flight were left waiting more than two hours beyond the departure time listed on their tickets.
During that delay, WestJet failed to provide food and drink in reasonable quantities, something airlines are required to offer when delays exceed two hours.
Under the regulations, airlines must consider factors such as the length of the delay, time of day and location of passengers when providing refreshments.
The situation escalated after the Calgary-to-Nanaimo flight was later cancelled, forcing passengers to remain overnight while waiting for alternate travel arrangements.
The CTA says 19 passengers affected by the delay and cancellation were not offered hotel or comparable accommodation, nor transportation to and from the accommodation, as required when travellers must wait overnight due to a disruption.
These services must be provided free of charge, according to federal passenger protection rules.
The CTA determined that WestJet contravened two provisions of the Air Passenger Protection Regulations.
The first involved failing to provide food and drinks after a lengthy delay, while the second related to failing to offer overnight accommodation for passengers waiting for rebooking.
As a result, the agency issued a monetary penalty against the airline.
