Guide · updated 2026-11-07

WestJet cancelled your flight for “unplanned maintenance”. Here is what the rules say, and what you can check.

A cancellation blamed on maintenance is not automatically compensation-free. Under Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regulations the question is whether the disruption was within the airline's control and whether it was required for safety. The aircraft's own record can tell you a lot about the second part.

What WestJet owes you depends on the category

The CTA sorts every disruption into three categories, and the entitlements differ.

Category	Examples given by the CTA	You are entitled to
Within the airline's control	Scheduled maintenance, choice of aircraft, staffing	Assistance, rebooking, refund, and compensation
Within control but required for safety	Unforeseen mechanical problems; safety decisions by the pilot or under the airline's safety management system	Assistance, rebooking, refund. No compensation
Outside the airline's control	Extreme weather, emergencies, security, labour disputes, airport issues	Rebooking or refund

The CTA's own wording matters here: “required for safety” covers mechanical problems, but not scheduled maintenance and not mechanical problems identified during scheduled maintenance. Those are within the airline's control.

How much compensation, if it applies

WestJet is a large airline under the regulations. If the cancellation was within its control and not required for safety, you were told 14 days or less before departure, and you arrived at least 3 hours late:

Arrival delay	Large airline (WestJet)
3 to under 6 hours	$400
6 to under 9 hours	$700
9 hours or more	$1,000

You must claim in writing within one year. The airline has 30 days to pay or to explain why it believes nothing is owed.

Why the aircraft record matters

In May 2026, CBC Go Public analysed flight data and reported 34 WestJet cancellations where the aircraft assigned to the flight was swapped minutes before a “maintenance” cancellation, with the substituted aircraft already grounded for days. WestJet told CBC that aircraft are sometimes reassigned to minimise disruption. The CTA opened an enforcement investigation, according to the same reporting.

The record does not tell you why an airline cancelled. It does show whether the aircraft recorded on your flight stayed on the ground afterwards, or departed on another route an hour later. That is a precise question you can put to the airline in writing: which aircraft was originally assigned, which aircraft was assigned at cancellation, when any change happened, and what the defect was.

What to do, in order

Keep the airline's message with the stated reason. The CTA requires airlines to tell you the reason as soon as feasible.
Check the aircraft record (free, below).
Write to WestJet within one year with your flight details, the arrival delay, the amount that applies, and your questions about the aircraft assignment.
If WestJet refuses or does not answer within 30 days, you can file a complaint with the CTA.

Check what the aircraft actually did

Enter your flight number and date. We trace the aircraft recorded on your flight in FlightAware's records and email you a plain-English report within 48 hours. Free, for Canadian passengers. One of three verdicts, each with its limits.

Request the free check

Sources

Summaries, not legal advice. Figures in Canadian dollars as published by the CTA at the dates above; check the CTA pages for changes.