Two Cargojet freighters were badly damaged by a hail storm at Calgary International Airport in Canada last week, executives said Wednesday during a call with analysts discussing second-quarter earnings.
The Aug. 5 storm that battered the Alberta airport with ice pellets the size of golf balls also sidelined 16 planes operated by WestJet, Canada’s second-largest passenger airline.
Cargojet (TSX: CJT) has brought the two planes to its base in Hamilton, Ontario, for repairs, the company said. One plane is a Boeing 767 supplied by Amazon, for which Cargojet is providing crew, maintenance and insurance to operate in Canada on Amazon’s behalf. The other plane is a smaller Boeing 757 operated by Cargojet.
Management said it expects the 757 freighters to return to service fairly quickly. The 767 will take another week or more to complete repairs, but the airline is using backup planes to ensure Amazon can serve customers on time.
The damaged WestJet planes, which require extensive inspection and repairs, represent about 10% of the airline’s fleet. The company announced Wednesday that it will proactively cancel flights for the foreseeable future as it works to return all affected aircraft to service. It has canceled hundreds of flights so far and is currently canceling 50 flights per day. A comprehensive damage assessment has determined that obtaining specialized equipment and materials and completing repairs will take several weeks.
In addition to cosmetic damage, hail can also damage radomes, which protect the radar antenna and sit between the inner and outer skins. Large hail can also dent the surface, which can affect flight characteristics, aviation experts say. WestJet and CEO Alex Hochberg posted photos showing the spoilers of a plane’s wing covered in dents.
WestJet said it is actively pursuing all options to reduce cancellations, including adding additional flights operated by WestJet Encore and partner Canadian North. It has also engaged Boeing and the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, the union representing WestJet Aircraft Maintenance Engineers, to help secure additional resources and expedite aircraft repairs.
According to WestJet, it takes 12 maintenance technicians to inspect and repair each aircraft.
Two weeks before the hail storm, WestJet was severely affected by the IT outage that occurred when CrowdStrike released a defective update to its security software for Windows systems.
Two Flair Airlines jets were also out of service for several weeks.
According to airport officials at Calgary Airport, WestJet’s hub, a portion of the domestic terminal sustained extensive water damage when hail damaged the roof.
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