WestJet gets 'formal warning' for misleading passengers about why it cancelled flight
 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/wes...ling-1.5149512

WestJet violated Canada's Air Transportation Regulations when it told passengers in late 2017 that it cancelled flights to Turks and Caicos and Santa Clara, Cuba, due to airport closures, the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) says.

At the time, each region's international airport was fully operational.

Following an investigation, the CTA determined WestJet violated a regulation which states that airlines "shall not make publicly any statement that is false or misleading." As a penalty, the CTA gave WestJet a formal warning, which means if the airline commits the same violation again, it could face a monetary fine.

FYI -- this is a CBC story. Full story here.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/wes...ling-1.5149512

Ron.

If every airline was fined every time they knowingly spoke or posted false or misleading information they would all be bankrupt.

Our they would \stop it.

And with that kind of warning they probably will...

"Received a formal warning" roughly equates to "They got away with it".

Just noticed I forgot to include it. Thanks.

IF such statement is applicable to an INTERNATIONAL service regulated by the Air Transport Regulations.

I'd rather see them send executives to mandatory ethics training and make them pony up a certificate to prove they went (and passed).

You don't stay in business by lying to people so you save a few bucks. You dig in your pocket or purse and find a flight for everyone to Turks and Caicos and back even if the total cost is more than you earned for that trip.

The affected people should have sued for their damages from the breach of contract in small claims where I doubt WS would get a lot of sympathy if the foundation for their defense was they lied and got caught.

Everyone that complained and pressed on the reason was compensated for their out-of-pocket expenses; no need and no point in a further suit - unless someone wants to start a class-action so that those that just accepted the excuse will get compensation as well; not enough $ likely to get a law-firm involved though and you can't do a class-action in small claims.

But not everyone who was affected just those who raised a fuss. An ethical company with a shred of empathy especially when caught lying about the problem should inquire of everyone to see if they were caught out. Actually they should not have lied and arranged something even a charter before the lie.

I suspect full damages and some punishment for the circumstances would not be hard to get in small claims. No lawyers and certainly zero pity by any JP for what they did.