‘It’s just craziness’: WestJet passengers stuck in Cancun after multiple flight delays, cancellations

In Cancun, Mexico, hundreds of frustrated Calgarians are into their second day waiting for a flight home.

Some Canadians were still looking for answers from WestJet Sunday after their flight home from Cancun was hit with multiple delays and cancellations, leaving them stranded at the airport.

Passengers told CTV News their flight home was initially cancelled on Thursday, after many had already arrived at the airport, checked their bags and gone through customs.

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Passengers were told WestJet was experiencing technical issues, but they’re frustrated no other information has been passed along.

“It’s chaotic here, everyone is just going nuts, people are having panic attacks, people are screaming,” Alim Kara, a stranded WestJet passenger, told CTV News from Cancun.

“No one’s getting any information. It’s just craziness, and we’re just trying to see if we can prioritize the babies and the elderly people in wheelchairs to see if they can kind of get taken care of.”

Some passengers were given hotel rooms on Thursday night and meal vouchers, but they were back at the airport on Friday facing multiple delays.

They also have not had access to their luggage during the delays.

The Calgary International Airport’s website shows arriving WestJet flights from Cancun as cancelled for both Thursday and Friday.

Friday night, WestJet provided CTV News with a statement:

“We are sincerely sorry for the inconvenience WestJet guests are experiencing in Cancun. We can confirm that there have been multiple cancellations due to unscheduled maintenance,” the statement read.

“We understand how frustrating it is when travel does not go as planned, and we appreciate our guests’ patience while we work to deliver parts and personnel to Mexico to complete the maintenance.

“We can confirm that all impacted guests have been reaccommodated to return to Calgary tomorrow.”

On Saturday, CTV News Calgary was sent a text message containing video of a WestJet pilot speaking to passengers at the airport.

In it, he said that passengers had been told that morning the plane had been repaired, but that it had not.

Some passengers were starting to receive notifications that two 737-800 planes would fly them out later.

The pilot said they would depart at 4:55 and 6:25 p.m. local time, and he apologized to the crowd for the inconvenience.

Returning to Calgary

CTV News has learned that two rescue jets sent by WestJet arrived within minutes of each other in Calgary around midnight Sunday morning carrying passengers from Cancun.

However, social media posts suggest that not everyone was able to make it home.

One passenger said they were now booked to fly home Feb. 3., saying he and his family have endured a whole week of cancellations.

In a statement, WestJet said the majority of passengers affected by delays have returned to Calgary, with the remaining guests scheduled to return home on Monday.

“We understand how frustrating it is when travel does not go to plan, and we are sincerely sorry for the inconvenience this has caused,” WestJet said.

With files from CTV News Calgary’s Shaun Frenette