WestJet on Tuesday increased its domestic flight surcharge supporting air traffic control services by an amount of between $4 and $7 per guest, depending on the flight duration.
The increase is in response to a nearly 30 percent increase in rates owed to Nav Canada, Canada's air traffic control operator, which is increasing WestJet's costs between $6 and $9 per guest, according to WestJet. The carrier is investigating an appeal of the increase and will remove the surcharge increase if successful.
"We are deeply concerned the Nav Canada rate increase will lead to a further reduction in the number of travelers," WestJet President and CEO Ed Sims said in a statement. "We are sympathetic to their situation, like ours, where a lack of sector-specific federal support has hindered their ability to recover. Burdening travelers who have been severely impacted by this pandemic with incremental costs will only serve to undermine Canada's economic recovery."