The 2024 travel year started with a literal bang, when the door of a Boeing 737 Max blew off in mid-flight. Things got arguably worse from then on, with two Canadian airlines going under, a surprise WestJet mechanics strike, massive computer glitches that grounded aircraft, and, now, talk of a potential Air Canada pilots strike. Here’s a brief look at the year of travelling dangerously. JANUARY: On Jan. 5, on a flight from Portland, Oregon to Ontario, California, an unused exit door on A Boeing 737 Max 9 jet unexpectedly blew off at about 16,000 feet. The jet was forced Read more
pilot strike
WestJet pilots have called off a potential strike. But it’s not clear when service will return to normal. Duncan Dee, a former chief operating officer at Air Canada, told Global News it will likely be until mid-next-week before WestJet is back operating at 100 per cent capacity. “What’s happened over the last few days, you should look at it in terms of a giant jigsaw puzzle, which was already well put together — and then WestJet comes in and they have to take each and every piece of that jigsaw puzzle apart,” he said. The website Flight Aware reported that some 107 Read more
With a potential WestJet pilots’ strike or company lockout less than 48 hours away, WestJet’s CEO says a “massive” gap remains between the union and airline negotiators. Negotiations are continuing around the clock between WestJet and the Air Line Pilots Association as the clock ticks down toward a strike deadline of 3 a.m. Eastern Time on Friday, May 19. CTV News reports the standoff “leaves thousands of passengers with travel plans for the May long weekend and beyond hanging in limbo — and has already affected bookings.” “The gap is still massive,” CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said of the negotiations, Read more
