What happened
A CBC News investigation has identified a pattern where WestJet cancels flights and then swaps the scheduled aircraft for one that is already grounded for maintenance, allowing the airline to cite 'unforeseen maintenance' as the reason for cancellation. Under Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), disruptions due to unforeseen maintenance are exempt from mandatory cash compensation, whereas other causes are not. The investigation highlights a specific case from March 2, 2026, where a couple flying from Los Cabos (SJD) to Calgary (YYC) had their flight canceled. WestJet denied their compensation claim citing unplanned maintenance. However, FlightStats data showed the original aircraft (C-FAJA) remained in service, while the swapped aircraft (C-GUDH) had been grounded since late February. CBC reviewed 34 similar cases where tail numbers were swapped to broken aircraft minutes before cancellation. WestJet declined to provide a detailed explanation, stating only that planes are sometimes reassigned to minimize disruption