WestJet flight bound for Calgary aborted after ‘incident’ on Denver runway

A WestJet flight scheduled to fly from Denver, Colo., to Calgary, Alta. on Thursday, June 18, 2026. (Courtesy NBC News)

A WestJet flight scheduled to fly from Denver, Colo., to Calgary on Thursday never ended up leaving the runway.

WestJet confirms flight WS1571 aborted takeoff after an “incident” at Denver International Airport.

“The crew responded promptly in accordance with established procedures and declared an emergency, with response teams attending immediately,” the airline said.

An airport spokesperson confirms to CTV News that the incident involved one of WestJet’s aircraft and happened on runway eight at 12:30 p.m.

“Passengers were bused back to the concourse,” said Ashley Forest, spokesperson for Denver International Airport.

• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

Video of the plane on the runway appeared to show two shredded tires. In audio obtained by NBC News, the control tower can be heard telling the cockpit, “it looks like both gears on the left side are blown. There’s no tire.”

When the responder asked if the plane was sitting on rims, the tower stated, “that’s affirm, both tires are blown on your left main.”

The airline says it supported affected guests and worked to re-accommodate them as quickly as possible.

“All guests deplaned safely and were returned to the terminal,” WestJet added.