WestJet to cancel 15 per cent of January flights due to COVID-19 related staff shortages

A WestJet plane in shown in a file photo.

CALGARY -

WestJet Airlines Ltd. says it is being forced to cut 15 per cent of its flights through to the end of January as it deals with staffing shortages due to the Omicron variant.

The Calgary-based airline says it has seen a 35 per cent increase in active cases among staff in recent days, with 181 WestJet employees currently affected by COVID-19.

WestJet says it has seen a significant increase in flight delays and cancellations over the past 72 hours.

It says it can no longer predictably staff its scheduled flights.

The announcement comes as more than 850 flights were cancelled in the U.S. on Wednesday, according to data from the flight-tracking website FlightAware. There were nearly 1,300 cancellations for flights entering, leaving or inside the U.S. Tuesday, and about 1,500 on Monday.

WestJet says guests whose flights are cancelled or rescheduled by the airline will be eligible for a refund. Guests with impacted flights will be notified by the airline.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 30, 2021