TORONTO — WestJet has cancelled all inbound and outbound London (Gatwick) flights starting Dec. 24, 2020 through January 5, 2021.
Air Canada has also suspended flights in and out of the UK. Air Canada says it is notifying affected passengers and offering them other travel options, including flights with other carriers or to other locations that permit travel with Canada, and will adjust its flight schedule as appropriate as the situation unfolds.
On Dec. 20 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada would restrict travel from the U.K. to Canada for 72 hours, after officials raised concerns about a new, more infectious strain of COVID-19 spreading in Britain. The new travel restrictions went into effect Dec. 21.
In his briefing today Trudeau extended the UK flight ban for two weeks, until Jan. 6, 2021.
In a statement posted last night WestJet said: “We understand this is a difficult situation with the timing of holiday travel and apologize that we are unable to offer rebooking options at this time. This decision was made to provide certainty for our guests around our schedule and in alignment with recent government actions to prioritize the health and safety of our guests and crews. “
WestJet added: “While the current Transport Canada regulations are set to expire on December 24, given the rapidly changing landscape, we anticipate further extensions, and want to proactively manage cancellations and delays to avoid significant uncertainty during a peak travel period.”
All WestJet passengers with impacted itineraries are being notified. WestJet’s last commercially scheduled flight, during this time frame, operated Dec. 22 from Toronto (YYZ) to London Gatwick (LGW). Tickets are no longer available for sale for travel to/from London, Gatwick during this 14-day period.
WestJet currently operates twice-weekly flights between Toronto (YYZ) and London, Gatwick (LGW).
Here a list of WestJet flights that have been cancelled:
Flights from Toronto (YYZ) to London, Gatwick (LGW)
December 24 – WS3
December 29 – WS3
December 31- WS3
January 5 – WS3
Flights from London, Gatwick (LGW) to Toronto (YYZ)
December 24 – WS4
December 26 – WS4
December 31 – WS4
January 2 – WS4
With file from The Canadian Press
