CALGARY — WestJet Airlines' check-in services have been restored, after a temporary system outage caused flight delays and snarled travel across Canada Thursday morning.
WestJet spokeswoman Morgan Bell said travellers are still being encouraged to arrive early and check their flight status before heading to the airport. She said the airline is still experiencing issues with its self-serve baggage drop at Calgary, Ottawa, Saskatoon and Halifax airports.
System outages affected both WestJet Airlines and air traffic control agency NAV Canada on Thursday, with travellers on social media reporting long lines and confusion at airports.
Elle Dunlap from San Francisco, Calif. — who was travelling with her husband and five-year-old son Thursday to Saskatoon, Sask. for her husband's brother's memorial service — arrived at the San Francisco International Airport at 6 a.m. Thursday morning. Their flight, with a scheduled connection in Calgary, was supposed to depart at 8:30 a.m. but as of 9:15 a.m., the family was still waiting.
"I was anxious about this flight anyway because I've heard about some of the troubles with domestic flights within Canada," Dunlap said in an interview, adding she first suspected there was a problem when the family was unable to check in online.
"We came to the airport super early, but there was just no communication (from WestJet). It was just 'the system's not working' and we were just waiting in line with 100 other people for hours."
NAV Canada, the not-for-profit corporation responsible for air traffic control in Canadian airspace, said it was experiencing disruptions in western locations Thursday due to a service outage with its third-party telecommunications provider, Zayo.
NAV Canada spokesman Brian Boudreau said air traffic control has reduced the flow of departures and arrivals temporarily in some locations as a result.
"Nav Canada is actively engaging Zayo to ensure every effort is being made to restore the service as soon as possible and to understand restoration timelines," Boudreau said.
The outages Thursday are exacerbating what has already been a frustrating summer for Canadian air travellers.
Airlines and airports have been struggling to cope with a massive travel resurgence in the wake of the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, and staffing issues at carriers and federal agencies have resulted in flight cancellations, baggage delays and endless queues.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 14, 2022.
Amanda Stephenson, The Canadian Press
