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Canadian airline WestJet saw 16 of its aircraft (10% of its fleet) grounded after a hailstorm hit its hub at Calgary International Airport (YYC). Since the storm on Monday, WestJet has had to cancel 248 flights.
WestJet was responsible for the bulk of cancellations out of Calgary International Airport (YYC) yesterday and today as it had to take so many of its aircraft out of service for inspection and repairs after the storm. The airline is based in Calgary and operates its largest hub here. Delays and cancellations are expected for the foreseeable future as the airline works to get its fleet in order. When the storm hit, WestJet had 22 aircraft at the airport. Four were moved into hangars and two sustained minor damage and have since returned to service. The remaining 16 planes have been grounded after they sustained “significant hail damage.”
WestJet grounds 16 planes after a hailstorm Monday evening in Calgary, affecting 10% of its fleet.
84 flights were canceled on Wednesday, 106 on Tuesday, and 58 on Monday. Parts of Calgary Airport's terminal remain closed. Air Canada operations are back to normal.
Sixteen… pic.twitter.com/K33wAvnQb7
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) August 7, 2024
The airline released the following statement, sharing that its teams are:
“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.”
Calgary International Airport (YYC) also sustained a good amount of damage from the storm. WestJet is providing impacted passengers fee waivers for changes and refunds or credits for cancellations.
Diederik Pen, the President of WestJet and WestJet Group’s Chief Operating Officer, said:
The severity and direction of the actual thunderstorm and hail became clear less than 30 minutes before impact, and we are extremely appreciative of our people who took quick action, prioritizing safety above all while limiting damage to our fleet and operation, wherever possible.”
Anthony’s Take: Mother Nature unleashed her fury in Canada. The size of the hail pictured above is pretty insane.
(Featured Image Credit: WestJet.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
