A group of over 100 Canadian travelers who were supposed to fly back home from Mexico on Saturday are still reeling from their ordeal, which turned into a three-day nightmare due to unscheduled maintenance on their plane. Despite the airline’s efforts to get them back on track, many passengers say they felt abandoned and left in the dark.
According to Calgary resident Bryce Drohan, who was part of the affected group, the flight from Tulum was delayed for 14 hours before being canceled. Passengers were then transported to a nearby resort complex, where chaos erupted as staff struggled to accommodate them.
The situation took another turn when passengers boarded the plane again on Sunday only to be told that the mechanical issues had not been resolved and it was unclear whether the small airport would still have staff on shift when the plane finally took off. This decision led to a 45-minute wait before ground crews unloading their luggage, causing further frustration among the passengers.
Drohan expressed his disappointment with WestJet’s handling of the situation, stating that he felt helpless and abandoned. He believes that the airline should have done more to communicate with its passengers and provide them with support during this difficult time.
Gábor Lukács, a Canadian air passenger rights advocate, agrees that the federal government is failing to hold airlines accountable in cases like this. He believes that WestJet’s decision to leave their passengers in Mexico for three days was more profitable than complying with the law and buying tickets on other airlines.
In response to Global News’ inquiry, WestJet issued a statement apologizing for the inconvenience caused to its guests. The airline acknowledged that there were multiple cancellations due to unscheduled maintenance and thanked its partners who helped minimize the impact of these travel disruptions.
As of publishing, the Canadian Transportation Agency had not responded to our interview request. WS4222 from Tulum to Calgary took off after about 45 minutes on Monday afternoon and is slated to land in Calgary around 10 p.m.
The incident highlights the importance of effective communication and support from airlines during difficult situations like this. The passengers affected by this ordeal hope that their experiences will lead to changes in how airlines handle similar situations in the future.
Source: Global News
