# WestJet Accused of Swapping Aircraft to Avoid Compensation Payouts Under Canadian Regulations

_May 13 10:41_

Tags: WestJet, Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), Canada, airline, loyalty program, safety & operations, industry news

CBC News investigation finds WestJet swapping in grounded aircraft to claim 'unforeseen maintenance' as the cause for cancellations, thereby avoiding mandatory cash compensation under Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations

## Summary

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

## Why it matters

Affects 2 airline programs (Air France-KLM, WestJet).

## Sources cited

- [One Mile at a Time](https://onemileatatime.com/news/westjet-sneaky-lie-avoid-paying-compensation-cancellations) — WestJet’s Sneaky Lie To Avoid Paying Compensation For Cancellations?

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