WestJet Has Seen A Colossal Drop In Demand & Over 140 Planes Are Grounded

The air-travel industry is suffering due to the COVID-19 pandmeic. On Wednesday, WestJet revealed that more than 140 of their 181 planes have been grounded.

After announcing that they’d be refunding passengers who’ve recently had their flights cancelled, the airline addressed questions about their changing policy.

In a F.A.Q., the company acknowledged that it’s taken a long time to offer refunds, but shared details of the significant impact the pandemic has had on the company’s day-to-day operations.

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[...] We are still at a level that sees more than 140 of the 181 aircraft in our fleet parked and more than 4,000 WestJetters permanently laid off.

WestJet

“Since the onset of the pandemic, we have done everything we can to reduce costs and streamline our operations in the face of a 95 per cent drop in demand,” explained the airline.

The company noted that thanks to “structural changes” and “the efforts of thousands of WestJetters,” they are now able to start issuing reimbursements.

That said, it could take months before passengers start to receive their money back.

Last week, WestJet announced that it would be indefinitely suspending service to four cities in Atlantic Canada, grounding more than 100 weekly flights.

This comes as the federal government continues to discuss taking a stake in Canada’s airlines, in order to help protect the industry.