WestJet says with continuing federal government travel advisories and restrictions it has announced further cuts to its schedule and staff. Ed Sims, President and CEO says they saw significant reductions in new bookings and unprecedented cancellations in the wake of the federal government announcing a negative COVID-19 test is necessary for travelers and the 14 day quarantine would continue upon returning to Canada.

The equivalent of 1,000 employees will be impacted by furloughs, temporary layoffs, unpaid leaves and reduced hours. There is also a hiring freeze.

WestJet’s Ed Sims also says they have advocated for 10 months to have a coordinated testing regime on Canadian soil. The airline is removing approximately 30 per cent of its currently planned February and March capacity from the schedule which is a more than an 80 per cent reduction compared to this time last year.

Network impact by the numbers:

• With the planned reductions, WestJet will operate at a more than 80 per cent reduction year over year.
• Specific to international markets, capacity will be down 93 per cent year over year where the airline will be operating only five daily flights compared to 100 last year
• Elimination of more than 230 weekly departures (including 160 domestic) and removal of more than 30 per cent of capacity versus prior months.
• Suspension of 11 routes (Edmonton–Cancun, Edmonton– Puerto Vallarta, Edmonton–Phoenix, Vancouver–Cancun, Vancouver–Phoenix, Vancouver–Puerto Vallarta, Vancouver-Cabo, Vancouver–Los Angeles, Vancouver–Palm Springs, Calgary–Las Vegas, Calgary–Orlando).
• Seasonal suspension of 13 international and transborder destinations (Antigua, Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, Huatulco, Ixtapa, London (Gatwick), Mazatlán, Nassau (Bahamas), Port of Spain, San Jose (Costa Rica), Tampa, and Turks and Caicos.
• The airline will operate approximately 150 daily departures, returning to levels not seen since June 2001.