‘We need to get home’: Calgary WestJet passengers stranded in Cancun

It’s been an extended stay in Mexico for hundreds of WestJet passengers — but not one they planned for.

“Over the past two days, [we] have spent almost 16 hours at the airport and being shuttled around,” explained Alim Kara, who had been on vacation with his wife and two sons — ages of 6 years, and 18 months.

“We have two very tired unwell kids due to two days of being stuck in the airport with no answers about what is happening.”

Kara, his family and dozens of other passengers arrived at Cancun International Airport Thursday afternoon, ready for WestJet flight WS2249 to take them home.

After two small, hour-long delays, passengers learned their flight was cancelled – and headed back to their hotel about 6 hours after first leaving.

Passenger James Faulkner says everyone went to sleep without knowing when their flight the next day would be.

“It wasn’t exactly a relaxing night. [Some people] would say it’s great, another night in this nice hotel — but you don’t get to enjoy it.”

By 7:30 Friday morning, Faulkner says hundreds of passengers were gathered in the lobby — learning they would board a bus back to the airport at 9 a.m..

“The communication would be the one thing I think WestJet could improve,” he told Global News from his hotel on Friday night.

Once they were back at the airport, Faulkner and the rest of the would-be passengers faced several short delays with no explanation.

By 2 p.m., he says staff on the plane joined the stranded passengers in the gate area – telling them about an issue with the plane’s climate control system.

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A handful of passengers were able to board another WestJet flight back to Calgary that afternoon – but Faulkner, Kara and the majority of the others were stuck waiting and wondering.

“All [WestJet] had to do for the rest of us was say ‘you know what, the game’s over. We’re going to send you back to the hotel early, and you can sit in a lounge chair for a couple hours and get some of that vacation vibe back,’” Faulkner said.

But for Kara – who had to make new arrangements for work, said he was ready for this vacation to finally come to an end.

“We need to get home,” he said, explaining that his kids are struggling with the delays.

“Honestly, one of the toughest experiences we have been through.”

In a statement to Global News Friday night, WestJet said both parts and maintenance personnel were on the way to Cancun to complete the necessary repairs on the affected aircraft.

“We are sincerely sorry for the inconvenience WestJet guests are experiencing in Cancun. We can confirm that there have been multiple cancellations due to unscheduled maintenance,” a WestJet spokesperson said.

The airline confirmed the impacted passengers would be on a flight home on Saturday.

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