Vancouver – Arab Canada News

A sudden cancellation of a WestJet flight that was headed from Vancouver to Calgary led to a temporary closure of one of Vancouver International Airport's runways on Sunday morning, as confirmed by authorities and the airline.

WestJet stated in a release that flight WS221, which was preparing for takeoff in the morning, had to stop suddenly on the runway during the takeoff attempt, what is known in civil aviation as a “Rejected Takeoff,” as a precautionary measure.

No injuries and passengers are safe

The company confirmed that all passengers and crew members are fine, and no injuries were reported, noting that the passengers were safely evacuated and returned to the airport terminal, where alternative travel arrangements were offered to them.

Temporary suspension of flight operations on the runway

The incident led to a temporary suspension of flight operations on the affected runway, while airport technical teams and the Canadian Transportation Agency began investigating the circumstances of the incident and inspecting the damaged aircraft.

Safety procedures in effect

For its part, WestJet emphasized that “the cancellation of takeoff was carried out in accordance with standard safety procedures,” and that the captain made the appropriate decision based on last-minute technical conditions.

The exact reasons for the cancellation of the takeoff have not yet been disclosed, pending the results of the technical assessment.