WestJet and Porter Hit With Fines as Canada Pushes Airline Care

Canada has fined WestJet and Porter Airlines after regulators found both carriers failed to properly assist passengers during separate flight disruptions in 2025.

The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) imposed a CA 70,000 (US$48,790) penalty on WestJet and a CA$90,500 (US $63,079) penalty on Porter, bringing the total to CA$160,500 (US$111,869).

The rulings focus on how the airlines handled passengers after delays and cancellations began.

WestJet was fined over meals, drinks, and overnight support

The WestJet case involved a flight from Calgary to Nanaimo on February 16, 2025.

The CTA said 16 passengers waited more than two hours without receiving food or beverages in reasonable quantities. It also found that 19 passengers who had to stay overnight were not offered hotel accommodation or transportation. Those failures led to a CA$70,000 (US$48,790) fine.

Under Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations, airlines must provide basic care when delays become lengthy. That includes food and drink after a delay of two hours, and hotel accommodation with transport if passengers have to wait overnight.

Porter’s case included rebooking and compensation failures

Porter’s larger penalty involved a flight from Fort Lauderdale to Montréal on March 30, 2025.

The CTA said passengers faced a long delay after boarding and similarly were not given food or drinks in reasonable quantities. The regulator also said Porter failed to send cancellation information to 13 passengers in their preferred communication method.

The agency found additional problems. Six passengers were not offered alternative travel arrangements within the required period. Four passengers also did not receive the minimum compensation owed or an explanation within 30 days. Because the failures covered several parts of the passenger journey, Porter’s fine was higher at CA$90,500 (US$63,079).

The wider system is still under pressure

These penalties come as Canada continues to deal with a large air travel complaints backlog.

In its latest annual report, the CTA said it closed more than 33,000 complaints in fiscal 2024–2025. But complaint volumes remained high, and the backlog reached 84,398 complaints by March 31, 2025.

Both airlines can still challenge the penalties

As of March 16, 2026, both airlines still have time to seek a review before the Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada. WestJet has until April 7, 2026, and Porter has until April 10, 2026.

This case also fits into a wider industry debate about how strongly regulators should police airline treatment of passengers during disruptions. In the US, enforcement is now moving in the opposite direction, with the Department of Transportation stepping back from some Biden-era consumer protection measures.

That contrast makes Canada’s latest fines more notable, because they show Ottawa is still willing to penalize airlines when passenger care rules are not followed.

Photo by John McArthur on Unsplash