DEVELOPING
WestJet strike avoided, but dozens of Vancouver flights still cancelled Friday
After more than nine months of heated negotiations, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and the WestJet Group have reached a tentative agreement.
The announcement comes just hours before approximately 1,800 pilots were set to walk-off the job, which would have caused mass cancellations across the WestJet network.
"We appreciate we were able to arrive at a deal, however, (we) recognize the impact on our guests and we sincerely appreciate their patience during this time," said WestJet Group CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech.
"We are pleased to now return our focus to providing friendly, reliable and affordable air service to Canadians for years to come.”
On Thursday, dozens of flights at Vancouver International Airport and across the country were cancelled in anticipation of the strike action.
"I had my mother with me, 80 years old. I have two kids, me and my wife are health-care providers, we fought for this vacation to go. We had bookings in Toronto," said WestJet customer Tariq Alsalous.
"(It's) very, very frustrating," added Christine Howard, who was set to travel to London, England.
"I'm hearing impaired, so I have to rely on my friend and I just need to get home."
Details of the tentative deal have yet to be announced, but pilots are expected to vote on it in the coming days.
Despite avoiding strike action, WestJet is now left scrambling to accommodate the customers who already had their flights cancelled. The anticipated cancellations also appear to have had a ripple effect.
According to the YVR website, as of 11:45 p.m. Thursday, 10 WestJet departure flights and 15 arrivals had been cancelled for Friday.
In a news release on its website, WestJet says "full resumption of operations will take time."
WestJet encourages customers to check the status of their flights online before heading to the airport.
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