Travel

Westjet Flight Slides Of Runway

In Halifax During Snow Storm


Similar Boeing 737 Aircraft (Source: Brian Teepell Photography)
USPA NEWS - January 5th, 2020.
Westjet flight 248 arriving at Halifax Stanfield Airport(CYHZ) from Toronto slides off runway after landing in snowy conditions.
The Boeing 737 was carrying 172 passengers as well as 7 crew. There were no reported injuries or damage to the aircraft. Several passengers posted details of the mishap on social media. Eric Wynne, a passenger, said "The pilots did an awesome job and that the flight crew of Westjet Flight 248 kept people calm." He also said that the aircraft continued off of the runway onto an unpaved area. Other passengers reported that many did not realized that anything was wrong until the aircraft came to a stop on snow covered grass. One passenger reported that he was expecting to be there much longer than they were, but said that responders were very efficient  in the disembarking process.
In a statement from Westjet, the airline apologized to the passengers and said it would be working with guests to assist with food and lodging if required. Westjet posted the following statement on Twitter, " We are working with @hfxstanfield to ensure the continued safety of our guests and crew while they deplane the aircraft via airstairs. Buses are taking all to the terminal where they will be reunited with their baggage as soon as posible." Another tweet from Westjet said, "We apologize to our guests for this experience. We will continue to work directly with them to ensure their comfort during this situation including providing water service while awaiting the arrival of the airstairs. #WS248"
Halifax Stanfield Airport has reported that there are flight delays and cancellations among several airlines, but it remains unclear if related to the Weatjet incident or poor weather conditions.
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