Aviation experts say airfares could rise immediately after a hailstorm ripped through Calgary Monday night, damaging WestJet planes and upending many passengers’ travel plans.
Hailstones the size of golf balls hit the airport tarmac, forcing the Calgary-based airline to ground 10 per cent of its fleet for major repairs and inspections.
WestJet says it cancelled 248 flights between Monday and Wednesday. It will also have to reduce travel across its network for the “foreseeable future.” The carrier cancelled an additional 106 trips Thursday and Friday, according to tracking service FlightAware.
Barry Prentice, who heads the University of Manitoba’s transportation institute, said a significant reduction in service from the country’s second-largest airline will likely boost demand at other carriers, pushing up ticket prices during the peak summer travel season.
“This is going to have a real impact on a lot of people waiting for their flights. You can’t cut 10% of the second largest airline in the country without it having consequences,” he said.
Longer term, he believes that more severe and volatile weather could increase airlines’ operating costs, such as maintenance and insurance, expenses that will likely be reflected in the price travelers pay.
“Of all modes of transportation, they are the most vulnerable to the elements,” Prentice said of airplanes.
WestJet said it has successfully moved four of the 22 planes that were on the ground in Calgary to a hangar for protection. Sixteen were “significantly damaged,” while two others were freed with minor damage, the company said in a statement Wednesday. Nine other planes were diverted.
“The severity and direction of the storm and hail became clear less than 30 minutes before impact, and we are extremely grateful to our employees who responded quickly, prioritizing safety first while limiting damage to our fleet and operations where possible,” said Chief Operating Officer Diederik Pen.
Passengers whose flights were cancelled due to the storm are entitled to a refund or free rebooking if they cannot be rebooked within 48 hours.
The storm and hail damaged the airport’s roof, causing ceiling tiles to collapse as water poured in and flooded parts of the domestic terminal, with some sections temporarily closed.
The ice chunks may also have wreaked havoc on less durable parts of WestJet’s planes.
“The various ailerons, rudders and such are not as robust as the fuselage because they are moving parts and they often need to be replaced,” said Rick Erickson, an aviation consultant who lives in northwest Calgary. “They may have been damaged.”
Even the main body of the planes could have been dented by the oversized pellets, requiring additional repairs.
“If you emboss the fuselage, you really increase the resistance of the airplane as it moves through the air and you create a lot more drag,” Erickson said.
The hundreds of canceled flights likely affected more than 10,000 customers, estimated John Gradek, who teaches aviation management at McGill University.
As WestJet crams passengers onto other flights, those looking for last-minute tickets could pay extra.
“The dynamic pricing algorithms that Air Canada and WestJet use automatically detect a situation of higher demand,” Gradek said, also referring to the reduction in seat supply this week.
“If you find a seat, it will be more expensive.”