Passengers Denied Boarding on Halifax-Cancun Flight

by Jen Mallia
Last updated: 12:15 PM ET, Thu March 19, 2026

Twenty-three passengers on a Cancun-bound flight from Halifax Stanfield International (YHZ) had their plans delayed thanks to staffing issues with WestJet. 

The March 14 flight was already delayed four hours by weather, when the airline announced it would need to reduce capacity on the 173-passenger flight to 150, offering $900 to volunteers. When no one took them up on it, 23 passengers were randomly selected as the unlucky bunch.

The airline stated that the reduction was to maintain safety standards in light of an unexpected crew absence. “In rare cases like this, Transport Canada regulations require one cabin crew member for every 50 guests, and despite exploring all options, an additional crew member could not be secured in time to safely operate the flight at full capacity,” the statement said.

One passenger who spoke to CBC News shared that she and her family who were denied boarding were refunded their airfare and rebooked on a Tuesday flight (which was subsequently rescheduled for Wednesday due to weather). They were also offered $4800 in compensation. 

Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations state that when a flight is delayed for more than nine hours for reasons within the airline’s control, passengers must be compensated $2,400 each. That would be a total of $9,600 for the family of four.

WestJet has indicated that each passenger denied boarding on the weekend flight has been reaccommodated.

Related: CTA Explains Air Passenger Complaint Backlog and Wait Times

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