WestJet to lay off 120 cabin crew members as of March 2, citing flight suspensions

The WestJet desks at the Calgary International Airport on March 11, 2020.

CALGARY — WestJet Airlines Ltd. will lay off 120 cabin crew members as of March 2, blaming the measure on the lack of flights to Mexico and the Caribbean.

WestJet spokeswoman Morgan Bell says the company's employees were notified of the additional cuts on Friday morning.

The layoffs come as Canadian airlines agree, at the request of the federal government, to suspend all flights to Mexico and the Caribbean until April 30.

Canada is also implementing new measures such as mandatory hotel quarantines for international travellers in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Air Canada says it is weighing measures such as shortened work weeks to temporarily reduce management levels as a way of preserving cash.

Air Canada said Thursday that it will pause all operations of Air Canada Rouge and lay off 80 employees starting Feb. 8 as a result of the flight suspensions.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 5, 2021.