WestJet has restored its full flight network capacity after managing to avoid a potential pilot strike.
In a statement, Alexis von Hoensbroech, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of WestJet Group, which includes WestJet and Swoop, said: 鈥淥ur network has fully recovered, great to see so many WestJet planes in the air right now!鈥澛犅
鈥淎fter Friday精东影业 partial network takedown due to potential (but prevented) labour action, the team did a tremendous job in restarting our schedule,鈥 von Hoensbroech added.
The airline精东影业 pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) union, were scheduled to strike on May 19, 2023, after negotiations between ALPA and WestJet stalled. However, on the same day, the two sides reached a tentative agreement, allowing the carrier to begin ramping up operations as quickly as possible.
鈥淗uge kudos to all WestJetters and鈥疭woopsters who stepped up, often voluntarily, to crew our flights!!鈥 the CEO of WestJet added, further apologizing to all passengers whose flights were canceled due to the precautionary measures the carrier was forced to take on May 19, 2023.
ALPA initially issued a strike notice for a 72-hour labor action on May 15, 2023, with the union seeking a new labor contract with WestJet. At the time, Captain Bernard Lewall, the Chair of the WestJet ALPA Master Executive Council (MEC), said that after nine months of negotiations, WestJet精东影业 鈥渕anagement still fails to understand today精东影业 labour market conditions, leading to a mass exodus of our pilots in search of better work opportunities鈥. Lewall added that 鈥渕ore will follow if this agreement does not meet our pilots鈥 needs鈥.聽
Responding to the strike notice, the airline group began a lockout of its operations, stating that it was the only available option to manage flight disruptions and 鈥減roactively communicate changes to our schedule and provide advance notice of travel impacts to our guests鈥.
After the two sides reached a tentative agreement, von Hoensbroech noted that the new labor contract will provide 鈥渕eaningful improvements to job security and scope, working conditions and wages鈥.
