WestJet suspends service to four cities in Atlantic Canada
By PLANT STAFF
Industry Aerospace Atlantic Canada WestJetSuspension eliminates more than 100 flights weekly or almost 80% of seat capacity from the region.
PHOTO: WestJet Boeing 737 MAX 8/acefitt via Wikimedia Commons
CALGARY — WestJet announced it will be indefinitely suspending operations to Moncton, Fredericton, Sydney and Charlottetown while reducing service to Halifax and St. John’s.
The suspension eliminates more than 100 flights weekly or almost 80% of seat capacity from the Atlantic region starting Nov. 2.
“It has become unviable to serve these markets and these decisions were regrettably inevitable as demand is being obliterated by the Atlantic bubble and third-party fee increases,” said Ed Sims, WestJet president and CEO, in a prepared statement. “Since the pandemic’s beginning, we have worked to keep essential air service to all of our domestic airports, but we are out of runway and have been forced to suspend service in the region without sector-specific support.”
All flights to and from Moncton, Fredericton, Sydney and Charlottetown will be discontinued as of Nov. 2. A return to service date not known.
In June, WestJet announced permanent layoffs to its workforce through its airport transformation and contact centre consolidation.
“We remain committed to the Atlantic region and it is our intent to resume operations as soon as it becomes economically viable to do so,” said Sims.
