A possible long-weekend strike at WestJet has been averted.

The federal labour minister directed the airline and mechanics into binding arbitration to resolve their dispute which is all but certain to postpone the work stoppage.

It comes as Westjet started cancelling flights Thursday night ahead of a Friday evening strike mandate from the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA).

In an update Thursday night, Westjet confirmed the move has prevented a strike, saying it will “no longer proceed in cancelling flights.”

“The airline acknowledges the Minister’s direction to secure industrial peace, and AMFA has confirmed they will abide by the direction. Given this, a strike or lockout will not occur, and the airline will no longer proceed in cancelling flights,” a Westjet statement confirmed.

“With the government’s actions, the summer travel plans of Canadians have been protected and we have a path to resolution,” said Diederik Pen, President of WestJet Airlines and Group Chief Operating Officer.

“We recognize the significant impact the initial cancellations continue to have on our guests and our people, and we sincerely appreciate their patience and understanding as we resume operations.” 

In a statement, the union has told members to refrain from any unlawful job action.

A strike could otherwise have disrupted flights for hundreds of thousands of travellers over the Canada Day long weekend.

In a social media post late Thursday afternoon, Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan said he was invoking his authority under the Canada Labour Code to resolve the impasse between the two sides as the clock ticked down toward a Friday evening deadline.

The AMFA had issued a 72-hour strike notice Tuesday amid tense negotiations over a first collective agreement between WestJet and some 680 maintenance engineers.

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