WestJet is suspending all of its international and trans-border flights for 30 days to help control the spread of the COVID-19, starting on Sunday, March 22.

The move will also allow the airline to help bring Canadians home after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called on citizens and permanent residents to return to the country during the coronavirus pandemic, said WestJet president and CEO Ed Sims. 

In a statement posted early Tuesday, Sims said that the last commercially scheduled flights from international and trans-border destinations will depart on Sunday night by 11:59 p.m. local time.

“After that, we will be operating rescue and repatriation flights in partnership with the Canadian government,” said Sims. 

WestJet is also lowering prices on remaining seats to Canada in all cabins to “assist Canadians in returning home on short notice,” he stated. 

The move to help repatriate Canadians will impact the Calgary-based airline’s domestic schedule, as it plans to reduce flights within Canada by about 50 per cent. 

As of Monday night, tickets to foreign destinations during the 30-day period are no longer available for sale.

Sales of outbound international tickets will be halted for four days, from Wednesday, March 18 at 11:59 p.m. MDT to Sunday, March 22 at 11:59 p.m. MDT. This is “so we are no longer sending Canadians out of the country and can instead focus on bringing them home,” said Sims.

All of the changes are in effect for the next 30 days.

On Monday, Trudeau announced more aggressive border measures to combat COVID-19, the disease caused by the highly contagious novel coronavirus that has killed four people in Canada and more than 3,300 worldwide. 

 

The prime minister said the country’s borders will close to nearly everyone but citizens and permanent residents. Some exceptions, however, include U.S. citizens, diplomats and airline crew. 

International flights arriving in Canada will be funnelled exclusively through Canada’s biggest airports in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver.

Trudeau urged Canadians abroad to find ways to return home before the countries they are currently in potentially introduce additional travel restrictions that could leave them outside of Canada for the unforeseeable future. 

“If you’re abroad, it’s time for you to come home. If you’ve just arrived, you must self-isolate for 14 days,” Trudeau said, stressing that all Canadians should stay at home as much as possible.

WestJet union expecting layoffs

Last week, The Canadian Press reported the union representing WestJet flight attendants is expecting layoffs of more than 50 per cent of its staff amid a growing number of flight cancellations due to the pandemic.

An internal memo sent to union officials and obtained by The Canadian Press said that travellers are rebooking en masse and “our airline’s well-being has become grave overnight.”

According to its website, WestJet flies to more than 100 destinations in North America, Central America, the Caribbean and Europe with a fleet of more than 150 aircraft. 

With a file from Zi-Ann Lum and The Canadian Press

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