WestJet cancelled more than 600 flights after 4,400 CUPE flight attendants walked out on 2 August over unpaid ground duties, disrupting roughly 250,000 passengers. Talks with federal mediators continue in Calgary, and mainline 737 and 787 flying remains suspended.
Cover image: Economy cabin seat rows aboard a WestJet Boeing 737 aircraft — photo by Troutfarm27, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
WestJet's flight attendant strike entered its second day on Monday 3 August 2026 with more than 600 flights cancelled and virtually all mainline Boeing 737 and 787 services suspended, as federally mediated talks with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) continued in Calgary. Roughly 4,400 cabin crew represented by CUPE Local 8125 walked off the job at 2:01 a.m. ET — just after midnight in Calgary — on Sunday 2 August after last-ditch bargaining collapsed, days after the union issued a 72-hour strike notice and WestJet answered with a lockout notice.
The walkout — timed at the peak of Canada's August long weekend — has disrupted travel for roughly 250,000 passengers by the airline's own estimate, and WestJet has suspended new bookings on its own aircraft through at least 5 August. The airline said it had cancelled 600 flights since Friday as of Sunday afternoon; aviation analytics firm Cirium counted 615 by mid-morning Sunday, per CNBC, and Monday's mainline schedule is grounded too. Regional subsidiary WestJet Encore's De Havilland Dash 8-400 flights and partner-operated services are still flying, Simple Flying reported. No tentative deal and no federal back-to-work order had been announced as of Monday, with both sides still at the table.
Why are WestJet flight attendants on strike?
The core dispute is pay for time worked on the ground. Like most North American cabin crew contracts, WestJet's pays primarily for "block time" — the period between the aircraft door closing and arrival at the gate — leaving boarding, deplaning and ground delays largely uncompensated. CUPE says its members perform about 35 hours of unpaid work per month on average, One Mile at a Time reported.
WestJet's final pre-strike offer included a 13% first-year wage increase retroactive to 1 January 2026, 2.5% annual raises through 2029 and a new duty pay premium the airline values at roughly 12% of salary, according to Global News. The union rejected it, arguing it still fails to pay for all hours worked. Members had voted 99.4% in favour of a strike mandate on 15 July, on a 97.3% turnout, Milesopedia reported.
How many WestJet flights have been cancelled?
Cancellations began before the strike, as WestJet wound down its network to avoid stranding aircraft and crews. Roughly 300 flights were scrapped before the deadline, the airline counted 600 cancellations since Friday by Sunday afternoon, and the tally keeps climbing with the mainline fleet — normally about 600 flights a day — parked into Monday.
- Grounded: effectively all mainline Boeing 737 and 787 departures, domestic and international.
- Still operating: WestJet Encore regional flights and codeshare/partner-operated services.
- Bookings: new sales on WestJet-operated flights suspended through 5 August, likely longer without a deal.
Will the government order WestJet crews back to work?
Not yet. Ottawa used Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to force the August 2025 Air Canada flight attendant dispute into binding arbitration — an order that union initially defied — but has made no such order here. Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu called the breakdown in talks a "disappointing development" and urged the parties to reach an agreement at the table, Global News reported.
For travellers, the realistic scenarios are a settlement, a prolonged strike or eventual federal intervention — none with a firm timetable. The disruption adds to a season of labour unrest, from Canadian carriers to the wave of European summer travel strikes in 2026.
What are WestJet passengers entitled to under the APPR?
Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR) split entitlements by who controls the disruption — and the WestJet situation straddles both categories, as advocacy group Air Passenger Rights explains. A strike by an airline's own employees is classed as outside the carrier's control, but flights WestJet cancelled preemptively before the walkout are, on the Federal Court of Appeal's reasoning in WestJet v. Lareau (2025 FCA 149), within its control — which unlocks cash compensation of CAD $400 to $1,000.
| Entitlement | Cancelled before the strike (within control) | Cancelled during the strike (outside control) |
|---|---|---|
| Rebooking | Within 9 hrs on WestJet/partners, then any airline | WestJet/partner within 48 hrs, then competitors |
| Refund option | Yes — original form of payment, 30 days | Yes — original form of payment, 30 days |
| Cash compensation (CAD) | $400–$1,000 by delay length | None |
| Meals & hotels | Required | Not required under APPR |
Our guide to flight delay compensation and passenger rights walks through the APPR claim process and escalation to the Canadian Transportation Agency.
What should affected passengers do right now?
- Don't go to the airport unless your flight shows as operating — Encore and partner flights are the main survivors.
- Use the fee waiver: travellers booked between 30 July and 6 August can make a one-time change or cancellation at no charge, per WestJet's flexible-change policy reported by Global News.
- Push for competitor rebooking if WestJet cannot move you within 48 hours of your original departure — that is an APPR obligation, not a favour.
- Take the refund in the original form of payment if you no longer wish to travel; you are not obliged to accept a travel credit.
- Keep receipts for meals, hotels and alternative transport. APPR may not cover them for strike-period cancellations, but insurance might — see our travel insurance guide to what is actually covered; many insurers exclude strikes announced before you bought the policy.
- Know your boarding rights when rebooked onto oversold flights — our explainer on overbooking and denied-boarding rights covers what airlines owe you.
Frequently asked questions
Is the WestJet strike over?
No. As of Monday 3 August 2026 the strike is in its second day, with more than 600 flights cancelled and mainline flying suspended. WestJet and CUPE Local 8125 remain in mediated talks in Calgary; no tentative agreement has been announced.
Am I owed compensation for a WestJet flight cancelled by the strike?
If your flight was cancelled after crews walked out on 2 August, the APPR treats it as outside WestJet's control: you are owed rebooking or a full refund, but no cash compensation. If WestJet cancelled your flight preemptively before the strike began, advocates argue that is within the carrier's control under WestJet v. Lareau, making you eligible for CAD $400–$1,000.
Are WestJet Encore flights affected by the strike?
Mostly not. Encore's Dash 8-400 regional services are staffed by a separate workforce and continue flying, along with partner-operated codeshares. All mainline Boeing 737 and 787 flying is suspended.
How long could the WestJet strike last?
There is no fixed end date. Talks continue under federal mediation, and Ottawa has so far declined to impose binding arbitration as it did in the 2025 Air Canada dispute. Bookings are suspended through 5 August, and that could extend without a deal.
Sources
- Global News — WestJet flight attendants on strike as company suspends most bookings
- Simple Flying — WestJet Flight Attendants Officially On Strike: All 737 & 787 Flights Cancelled
- One Mile at a Time — WestJet Flight Attendants Go On Strike Over Ground Pay, Most Flights Canceled
- CNBC — WestJet flight attendants go on strike after talks fall through, grounding flights
- Air Passenger Rights — WestJet Strike 2026: What Are My Rights?
- Air Passenger Rights — WestJet Preemptive Flight Cancellations 2026: What Are My Rights?
- Milesopedia — WestJet Strike: What the 99.4% Mandate Means for You
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