Two Cargojet freighter aircraft suffered extensive damage during a hailstorm last week at Calgary International Airport in Canada, executives said during a call with analysts Wednesday to discuss second-quarter earnings.
The Aug. 5 storm that pounded the airport in Alberta with golf ball-size ice pellets also crippled 16 aircraft operated by WestJet, Canada’s second-largest passenger airline.
Cargojet (TSX: CJT) moved the two planes to its base in Hamilton, Ontario, for repairs, according to the company. One plane is a Boeing 767 supplied by Amazon for which Cargojet provides crews, maintenance and insurance to operate on Amazon’s behalf in Canada. The other plane is a smaller Boeing 757 owned by Cargojet.
Management said it expects the 757 freighter to return to service fairly quickly. The 767 will take another week or more to complete repairs, but the airline is using backup aircraft to make sure Amazon can serve customers on time.
The damaged WestJet aircraft, which require extensive inspection and repairs, represent about 10% of the airline’s fleet. The company on Wednesday announced it will cancel flights on a proactive basis for the foreseeable future while it endeavors to return all impacted aircraft to service. It has called off hundreds of flights so far and is currently canceling 50 flights per day. A comprehensive assessment of the damage determined that sourcing specialized equipment and materials, and completing repairs will take several weeks.
In addition to cosmetic damage, hail can harm radomes that protect the radar antenna and are sandwiched between the internal and external skin. Large hail can also dent the surface, which can affect flight characteristics, according to aviation experts. WestJet and CEO Alex Hochberg have posted pictures showing a plane’s wing spoilers pockmarked with dents.
WestJet said it is actively pursuing every avenue to reduce cancellations, including adding additional flights operated by WestJet Encore and partner Canadian North. It also has engaged Boeing and the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, the union representing WestJet Aircraft Maintenance Engineers, to secure additional resourcing and expedite aircraft repairs.
WestJet said it takes 12 maintenance technicians to inspect and repair each aircraft.
Two weeks before the hailstorm, WestJet was significantly impacted by the IT outage caused when CrowdStrike released a defective update to its security software for Windows systems.
Two Flair Airlines jets were also knocked out of service for several weeks.
Calgary airport, WestJet’s hub, suffered extensive water damage to part of its domestic terminal building when hail damaged the roof, according to the airport authority.