Overview
- WestJet limits mobility aids to 136 kilograms on most of its Boeing-dominated fleet, a threshold that excludes many power wheelchairs.
- A regulatory complaint from former MP Steven Fletcher prompted a company filing to the Canadian Transportation Agency asserting the policy complies with accessibility obligations.
- Fletcher says he was forced to use a different chair after being told his device was too heavy, resulting in pain and pressure sores that required medical care.
- A Saskatoon family was told to cancel tickets because their 14-year-old’s wheelchair is about 430 pounds, with the family now arranging a longer trip via Calgary.
- Advocates and disability lawyers call the cap discriminatory, noting no comparable limit at other major North American airlines and pointing to American Airlines’ 2020 reversal of a similar rule.