The union representing WestJet cabin crew is demanding an apology from the airline after Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre addressed passengers on a Quebec-Calgary flight through the airline’s communications system. device.
In a video circulating online, we see Mr. Poilievre addressing passengers on a WestJet flight which left Quebec for Calgary on Sunday evening, following the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) convention.
Mr. Poilievre’s campaign-style speech lasts about 45 seconds and is greeted with laughter and cheers from passengers on the flight.
The president of WestJet’s cabin crew union, Alia Hussain, finds it very disappointing that the airline allowed a politician to use the plane’s public address system, usually reserved for flight attendants.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Mme Hussain clarified that cabin crew were not involved in the decision to allow Mr. Poilievre to speak to passengers in this way. She points out that airline guidelines state that only crew members can use this communication system.
Mme Hussain demands an apology from WestJet for blaming crew members in this matter. She claims that the airline Fet M. Poilievre showed a lack of judgment.
In the video, Mr. Poilievre, standing at the front of the plane, greets the passengers on the flight using the handset of the communications system usually used by flight attendants.
The Conservative leader uses partisan slogans: “Who is ready for common sense? » he says to the passengers. He continues with a message “from your captain” who informs them of “a bit of turbulence, but that will only last about two years, when you will have a whole new crew and a new pilot in charge of the plane.”
Questioned Tuesday by The Canadian Press, WestJet explained that it had added two flights between Western Canada and Quebec to meet the demand anticipated by the Conservative Congress.
“The flight in question [dans la vidéo] was added to our schedule and advertised as a flight serving the CCP convention,” company spokesperson Madison Kruger said in an email.
She also stressed that the use of the public address system by people other than flight attendants is “infrequent” and reserved for “exceptional occasions […] like this one “.
Mme Kruger added that Mr. Poilievre’s remarks were “cleared in advance by WestJet’s operational leadership and up to the final decision of the operations team.”
WestJet assures that it does not support any political party or organization.