WestJet passengers headed to Calgary stuck in Cancun, Mexico

Hundreds of passengers have been stranded in Cancun since Thursday after multiple WestJet flights to Calgary were delayed and eventually canceled due to maintenance issues.

Hundreds of passengers scheduled to fly to Calgary on Thursday are stuck in Cancun, Mexico, due to maintenance on some WestJet flights.

Passengers were expected to fly out early on Thursday, but multiple delays with no real communication set the tide for the eventual cancellation that has continued to Saturday.

Murray Ion, a real estate agent in Calgary who was finishing his vacation with his 13-year-old son, tells CityNews the situation was challenging at first because of a lack of communication on the whereabouts of their bags and their accommodations.

After waiting several hours following two delays, he says WestJet informed them the flight was cancelled due to technical issues. Passengers like himself were unsure what to do.

“We were kind of left to figure out where the baggage was and where [to] go. Transport to a hotel or if we have to stay at the airport? Nobody really knew,” he said.

Ion says he learned about accommodations from other passengers, and they had to scour the airport searching for their bags, which were found in a “random pile.”

“Ours weren’t there, so we had to … search the airport on our own to find our baggage,” he said.

He says once they found it, Ion and his son followed fellow passengers to a transport that took them to the hotel.

A hotel voucher was provided for a one-night stay, but the planned flight out on Friday was cancelled again, so another voucher was provided.

Ion says it’s been challenging for many passengers, including families with small children.

“It’s hard to imagine what they were going through trying to keep small children entertained in an airport for a whole day. There were elderly people that were getting understandably upset with the situation,” he said.

“I do empathize with those passengers.”

But for Ion and his son, with a stay that wasn’t planned and not ideal, he is taking it in stride.

“At the end of the day, safety is more of a concern that we’re getting on a safe plane, and at the end of the day, I can think of a million more situations than being stranded in beautiful Cancun,” he said.

WestJet confirmed the flight cancellations, saying Friday guests are expected to return to Calgary on Saturday.

“We are sincerely sorry for the inconvenience WestJet guests are experiencing in Cancun. We can confirm that there have been multiple cancellations due to unscheduled maintenance,” a statement from a WestJet spokesperson reads.

“We understand how frustrating it is when travel does not go as planned, and we appreciate our guests’ patience while we work to deliver parts and personnel to Mexico to complete the maintenance. We can confirm that all impacted guests have been reaccommodated to return to Calgary tomorrow.”

Ion says he hopes to be able to fly home with his son soon, but said he had already received a cancellation notice for Saturday’s flight, but then received another one saying it was still good to go.

“We’ll go to the airport and we’ll see what happens at that point,” he said.

“I mean, at the end of the day, WestJet is probably doing everything they can to get us home. I’m sure they don’t want to have to support us here in Mexico. And you know, safety is the priority, and I’m happy that at least they take that seriously and that we’re not being put on a plane that’s not 100 per cent safe.”

In an update Saturday afternoon, Ion says his 4 p.m. flight was cancelled due to technical issues, but adds WestJet had two Boeing 737s headed to Saskatoon fly them home.

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