Airfares could rise after Calgary hailstorm forces WestJet to cancel flights: expert

An aviation expert says airfares may go up in the immediate aftermath of a hailstorm that tore through Calgary on Monday evening, damaging WestJet planes and upending travel plans.

Hailstones as big as golf balls pummelled the tarmac, forcing the Calgary-based airline to ground 10 per cent of its fleet for major repairs and inspections.

WestJet says it cancelled 248 flights between Monday and Wednesday, and will have to cut trips across its network for the "foreseeable future."

Barry Prentice, who heads the University of Manitoba's transport institute, says a significant scale-back by the country's second-largest airline will likely boost demand at other carriers and push up ticket prices during the peak summer travel season.

Longer term, he says more violent and volatile weather patterns could boost airline costs such as maintenance and insurance, an expense that will likely trickle down to travellers.

Passengers whose flights were cancelled due to the storm are entitled to a refund or alternate reservation free of charge if they could not be rebooked within 48 hours.