Canadian airline WestJet starts to cancel flights as pilot strike looms, negotiations in stalemate

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Canada’s second largest airline WestJet has started to cancel flights as talks with the pilots’ union are at what the company says is an impasse. A potential strike is jeopardizing travel plans for thousands of passengers ahead of a holiday weekend in Canada. Some 1,800 pilots at the carrier and its Swoop subsidiary are poised to walk off the job overnight after the Air Line Pilots Association issued a strike notice earlier this week. The Calgary, Alberta-based airline flies to more than 110 destinations including in the United States, Central America, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia. With more than 4,000 flights scheduled over the next seven days, WestJet carries 28% of Canada’s domestic market, while Air Canada runs 47%, according to aviation data analyst Cirium.