WestJet cancels flights as Sunday strike deadline looms

WestJet has begun cancelling flights as a Sunday strike deadline approaches, with most of the cancellations scheduled for Saturday. By Saturday, the airline had listed 21 cancellations for Sunday and Monday. At Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, travelers described uncertainty as families lined up at check-in kiosks, hoping to reach trips to the Dominican Republic and manage tight timelines for reunions. WestJet said it continues bargaining with the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents 4,400 flight attendants, aiming to reach a new contract. The union’s 72-hour strike notice ends shortly after midnight Sunday in Calgary, where WestJet is headquartered, and WestJet has issued a lockout notice for the same timeframe. The airline will issue another update at 4 p.m. ET.