WestJet has announced a three-month delay for introducing daily flights to Calgary that were planned from the Canadian Rockies International Airport (CRIA) outside Cranbrook.
The announcement, initially made in November, consists of a partnership between Pacific Coastal Airlines and WestJet, however, the company says Pacific Coastal is still working to meet operational requirements.
“WestJet apologizes to our guests for the inconvenience these delays may cause,” said Brian Znotins, WestJet Vice-President Network Planning, Alliances and Corporate Development. “Impacted guests are being offered several different options including alternative transportation to Calgary to embark on their travel from there, obtaining a full refund or changing the date of travel. We again apologize to our guests for this inconvenience and look forward to the launch of our flights from Lethbridge, Lloydminster, Medicine Hat, Cranbrook and Prince George in June.”
CRIA has been working for years to lure WestJet to the area, and were targeting March to debut the new service. Now, flights are scheduled to begin on June 20, 2018.
In addition to flights into Cranbrook, routes to Calgary from Prince George, Lethbridge, Lloydminster and Medicine Hat are also being delayed.
With the announcement last fall, the company said there will be thrice-daily flights to Calgary in a Saab 34-seat aircraft at peak times to coincide with domestic and international travel.
WestJet says it is reaching out to anyone who has already booked flights on affected routes, while questions can be answered by contacting the company at 1-888-937-8538.
