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Aug 20, 2026 3:01 PM - Connect Newsroom - Ramandeep Kaur with files from The Canadian Press

CTA Orders WestJet to Remove Power Wheelchair Weight Limit

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The regulator ruled that WestJet’s weight restriction creates an unreasonable barrier for passengers living with disabilities and must be removed before July 2027. (Photo: The Canadian Press)

The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) has ordered WestJet, Canada’s second-largest airline, to eliminate the weight limit it imposes on power wheelchairs carried on its aircraft.

The regulator ruled that WestJet’s weight restriction creates an unreasonable barrier for passengers living with disabilities and must be removed before July 2027.

The case came to light following a complaint filed by Winnipeg resident and former federal cabinet minister Steven Fletcher, who was prevented from boarding a WestJet flight last year because of the weight of his customized electric wheelchair.

WestJet had previously defended the restriction by citing the technical weight capacity of the cargo holds on its Boeing aircraft. However, the regulator has now directed the airline to use spreader plates to properly distribute the weight of wheelchairs.

Until the new measures are implemented, WestJet has also been instructed to make alternative travel arrangements through other airlines for affected passengers.

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