WestJet begins repairs on plane in St. Maarten that experienced hard landing

The aftermath of WestJet's hard landing at Princess Juliana International Airport in Sint Maarten on Sunday afternoon. (Dave Beddows)

WestJet says it is starting to repair the plane that experienced a hard landing in St. Maarten and shut down the Caribbean island’s airport for a day last week.

The WestJet flight from Toronto landed roughly on its right landing gear before coming to a stop on the runway of Princess Juliana International Airport on Sept. 7.

• READ MORE: ‘We almost lost our lives’: WestJet passenger on flight to Sint Maarten demands answers following hard landing

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada launched an investigation shortly after to look into what may have caused the unusual landing.

The airline says investigators have “released” the plane to them, allowing repairs to begin.

Experts previously said fixing the aircraft would be a difficult project as parts and workers would likely have to be shipped over to the island from Canada.

WestJet says the investigation by the safety board is still underway and it is too early to know when it will be completed.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2025.

Vanessa Tiberio, The Canadian Press