“Intermittent problems” in the telecommunications system delayed WestJet flights in Canada and abroad Thursday morning, but the source of the problem is believed to be key fiber optic lines damaged when a train derailed near Bassano.
Officials with the Calgary-based airline confirm to CTV News that the outage in the NAV Canada system has been repaired, but as of 10 a.m. baggage check-in issues continued in Calgary, Ottawa, Saskatoon and Halifax.
“The infrastructure disruption is currently impacting airport check-in, flight scheduling and payment services on WestJet.com and continues to periodically impact operations,” a WestJet spokesperson said in a statement. “We are working to restore service and encourage guests to arrive early and check their flight status due to delays in the check-in process at the airport.”
“We thank all guests for their patience as we continue to work to resolve the issue.”
NAV Canada confirms that the outage was with the telecommunications system of Zayo, a third party provider.
“Ensuring the safe movement of air traffic in Canadian airspace is NAV Canada’s top priority,” a NAV Canada spokesperson said in a statement to CTV News. “As such, air traffic control will temporarily reduce the flow of departures and arrivals in some situations until Zayo restores service. Procedures are in place to ensure the safety of aircraft in our airspace.
“We regret the inconvenience to air carriers and their passengers due to this third party outage. We encourage passengers to check with their airlines for specific details regarding flight delays and cancellations.”
Zayo officials confirmed that the outage was the result of an unspecified train derailment on Wednesday that damaged fiber optic lines.
“Zayo is working to quickly restore service following the outage of two key fiber optic lines operated by one of our major fiber optic providers in Canada, including an outage caused by a train derailment yesterday evening. We have diverted a significant amount of traffic through other routes so that our customers can begin to resume normal operations. We regret the inconvenience this has caused our customers and air passengers, and our top priority is the safety of all involved.”
Due to NAV CANADA and WestJet system outages, guests flying through YYC may experience delays. We appreciate your patience as we support their efforts to resolve the issues. Please check with your airline for flight information. We will provide updates if available.
— YYC (@FlyYYC) July 14, 2022
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