Hundreds of flights cancelled as workers strike at Canada's WestJet

Flight attendants at Canada's second-largest airline WestJet have gone on strike during one of the busiest summer holiday weekends in the country.

As of early Sunday morning, some 600 flights have been cancelled, according to the airline.

The industrial action centres on issues related to pay, specifically compensation for work they do when the plane has yet to take off - known as ground pay in the airline industry.

Calgary-based WestJet, which flies to more than 130 Canadian and international destinations, says it "remains at the table and committed to achieving a negotiated tentative agreement that recognises the important contributions and professionalism of WestJet's Cabin Crew".

Here's a breakdown of what the disruption could mean if you're travelling.

The 72-hour strike notice announced by the union ran out on Sunday at 02:01 EST (07:01 BST), in the middle of a long weekend across most of the country.

It comes after union members voted 99% in favour of the strike mandate last month.

The airline began parking flights on Friday in preparation even as negotiations continued.

Both sides are in continued negotiations on Sunday even as the labour action began.

Patti Hajdu, Canada's jobs minister, called the strike a "disappointing development" in a statement on X on Sunday and urged the parties to continue working towards a deal.

She did not say that Ottawa would intervene to end the dispute, which it has done in the past, including with an Air Canada strike last year.

WestJet said on Sunday that all impacted guests will be refunded or reaccommodated, as applicable.

WestJet said 600 flights had been cancelled by Sunday morning. They have asked passengers to check the status of their flight before leaving for the airport.

WestJet Encore flights booked on a Q400 and WestJet codeshare flights will not be affected by any potential labour disruptions, the carrier says.

Airline passenger laws in Canada mandate that carriers re-book passengers on the next available flight either from its own fleet or on a partner airline, and if both are unavailable, then they must be re-booked with a competitor.

Canadian non-profit consumer group Air Passenger Rights says if the strike has already begun, your rights depend on your itinerary.

Passengers can be rebooked, free of charge, on the next available reasonable flight operated by any carrier, including on competitors' airlines.

Alternatively, passengers can opt for a full refund if they choose not to travel due to the cancelled flight. The airline is required to also fly passengers back to their point of origin free of charge.

But they caution that passengers worried about travel disruptions who pre-emptively rebook or cancel flights may not be entitled to some compensation.

Stranded passengers are entitled to some compensation for delays within the airline's control that are not related to safety.

Flight attendants and WestJet have been engaged in contract negotiations since September 2025.

"We have been clear about what needs to change, and we have worked hard to reach a fair deal," said Alia Hussain, president of the CUPE 8125 union, adding the union's goal was to reach an agreement without disrupting air travel.

Its website on Sunday as the walkout began, simply said "on Strike". It displays a counter showing the 213 days, hours and minutes WestJet cabin crew had been "without a valid collective agreement".

A sticking issue has been pay, with the union saying that flight attendants are expected to work without pay up to 35 hours per month for duties performed when the plane has yet to take off.

"Boarding, safety sweeps, assisting passengers, and ground delays are entirely on our dime," said flight attendants on a union website campaigning for the end of the policy.

On its website, WestJet said its flight attendants are paid by block hours that start when the plane leaves the gate and ends when it arrives at the next gate, adding that it is "the standard pay model for cabin crews across North America".

The airline said wages under the credit hour system include compensation for work done before take-off and landing.

Cabin crew make anywhere between C$28 ($20; £15) to $58 ($41; £31) per hour, according to WestJet.