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WestJet Airways introduced Friday that the Canadian air provider will reverse its choice to reconfigure planes with tighter seats, after movies went viral displaying pissed off vacationers’ knees urgent towards the seat in entrance of them attributable to cramped areas.
Within the reconfigured format, which rolled out in late October on choose Boeing 737s, house between rows was lowered to twenty-eight inches to accommodate an additional row of seats. WestJet additionally made economic system class seats non-reclinable, providing passengers the choice to pay further for adjustable seats.
In a information assertion, the corporate stated it should reverse what it known as the “densified seating” by eradicating the extra row of seats.
“Following a assessment of operational information and suggestions from friends and WestJetters, the airline will return to its prior customary seat pitch for economic system cabins on these lately reconfigured plane by eradicating one row of seats,” the corporate stated.
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WestJet’s Boeing cabin reconfiguration included three-seat courses on dozens of planes. (Westjet / Fox Information)
The airline added that the corporate will “start to transform all 180-seat plane to 174-seat layouts, with timelines for completion nonetheless being decided.”
WestJet’s rollout of the reconfigured seats has sparked widespread outrage amongst vacationers and even crew members.
Reuters reported that pilots and flight attendants have raised considerations over the brand new configuration’s consolation and security, particularly whether or not passengers may safely evacuate the airplane in an emergency because of the confined seating.
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A WestJet 737 airplane arrives at Toronto Pearson Worldwide Airport in Mississauga, Ontario, on September 9, 2025. (Mike Campbell/NurPhoto/Getty / Getty Photos)
Alia Hussain, president of the union native representing WestJet cabin personnel, stated on Friday that she is happy with the airline’s choice to reverse course, Reuters reported. Flight attendants reportedly confronted quite a few complaints from pissed off passengers and, in some circumstances, needed to change seats for taller vacationers whose legs didn’t correctly match inside.
“It created a hostile working surroundings for us as cabin personnel,” Hussain stated.
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Two WestJet Boeing 737 MAX 8 and Boeing 737-700, are pictured at Calgary Worldwide Airport in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on August 6, 2025. (Artur Widak/NurPhoto / Getty Photos)
Whereas the non-reclinable seats had been meant to assist passengers protect private house whereas sustaining reasonably priced journey choices, WestJet stated it acknowledges the necessity to “align product choices with the wants of the visitor.”
“WestJet tried seat pitches which can be standard with many airways across the globe as they serve to offer reasonably priced airfares,” WestJet Group Chief Government Officer Alexis von Hoensbroech stated. “As an entrepreneurial airline based on making air journey reasonably priced to Canadians, it’s in our DNA to attempt new merchandise. On the identical time, it’s simply as necessary to react rapidly in the event that they don’t meet the wants of our friends.”
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The airline stated reconfiguration plans had been paused in December and that the corporate is accelerating its analysis of the brand new inside format.
FOX Enterprise reached out to WestJet for extra data.
Reuters contributed to this report.
