WestJet Airlines has canceled 15% of its scheduled flights through the end of January due to staff shortages.
WestJet says it has seen a 35% rise in active COVID-19 cases among staff in recent days, with 181 employees currently testing positive for the virus.
As a result of the staff shortages, WestJet will remove 15% of flights from its schedule through January 31. Prior to the cuts, which will be implemented over the next few days, the airline has been operating 450 flights per day.
WestJet said it will notify all customers with affected flights. For any WestJet-initiated cancellations or schedule changes, where the schedule change was greater than 90 minutes or one or more stops were added, guests are eligible for a refund.
The announcement comes as more than 850 flights were cancelled in the U.S. Both Delta Air Lines and United Airlines said the nationwide spike in COVID-19 cases this week has affected flight crews and left carriers short-staffed.
Canadian airlines across the board have seen an uptick in flight delays and cancellations this week. However, Air Canada (AC) has said that adverse weather has been the major factor, rather than COVID-19.
The federal government requires both Canadian airline employees and passengers departing from Canadian airports to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
