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WestJet has been ordered to remove a 300-pound limit that can keep some power wheelchairs off most of its aircraft. Canada’s transport regulator found that the policy creates an undue barrier for travelers with disabilities and gave the airline until before July 2027 to change it.
That does not mean the cap vanished today. WestJet’s current accessibility page still tells travelers to check aircraft-specific size and weight limits before booking. Until the new system is implemented, a passenger with a heavier mobility aid should contact the airline early, document the device, and ask WestJet to arrange an accessible alternative when its own flight cannot carry it.
- The order: WestJet must remove the 300-pound mobility-aid cap from the vast majority of its aircraft before July 2027.
- The proposed fix: The Canadian Transportation Agency directed the use of spreader plates to distribute a wheelchair’s weight across the cargo floor.
- What happens now: Aircraft-specific limits still appear on WestJet’s website while implementation is pending.
- Interim traveler right: Reporting on the order says WestJet must arrange alternative transportation with another airline when necessary.
- Unresolved point: The regulator is still expected to decide how much advance notice a passenger must provide.
What the Canadian Transportation Agency ordered
The case was brought by Winnipeg resident Steven Fletcher after WestJet stopped him from flying between Winnipeg and Toronto with his customized power wheelchair. The Canadian Transportation Agency’s public case record identifies Fletcher, WestJet, mobility accessibility provisions, and closed pleadings under case 25-19492.
The Canadian Press reported that the agency found WestJet’s 300-pound restriction to be an undue barrier and ordered the airline to remove it from the vast majority of its aircraft before July 2027. The regulator said WestJet should use spreader plates, which spread a mobility aid’s load over a larger section of the cargo floor.
The order is important because a full-size power wheelchair can exceed 300 pounds even when it is not designed for a larger rider. A custom chair may also contain positioning, tilt, pressure-relief, and control systems that a lightweight travel chair cannot replace.
WestJet told The Canadian Press it would not comment while parts of the matter remain before the regulator. The remaining issue is expected to include how much advance notice travelers must provide. That makes the headline change real, but not fully operational yet.
The 300-pound limit is still visible today
WestJet’s live wheelchair and mobility-aid page instructs travelers to enter assistance and device information, including battery details, and to compare the aid with the operating aircraft’s maximum dimensions and weight.
The page says a device that exceeds the listed limit cannot be transported. It also displays a 300-pound maximum for at least the Dash 8-400 and identifies different dimensional limits by aircraft. That is the rule a traveler will encounter while WestJet develops the changes required by the order.
Do not assume a ticket purchase confirms the chair. The operating aircraft can matter more than the marketing flight number, especially when an itinerary includes a regional segment or another airline. Ask WestJet to confirm the aircraft and device acceptance in the reservation record.
What an affected traveler should do before booking
Start with the mobility aid’s manufacturer specifications. Record the total weight with batteries and essential accessories, plus height, width, and length in the configuration used for loading. If removable pieces change the measurements, list each piece and explain what can be safely removed.
Next, contact WestJet’s accessibility team before paying for a nonrefundable itinerary. Give the airline the route, date, flight number, mobility-aid model, weight, dimensions, battery type, and any handling instructions. Ask whether every operating aircraft can accept the device upright and what alternative WestJet will arrange if it cannot.
Request a written answer and an accessibility notation in the passenger record. A phone conversation is useful, but a written confirmation gives the airport team something specific to review if the check-in system produces a different answer.
If the airline proposes a different carrier, compare more than departure time. Check the entire route, connection assistance, baggage transfer, seating, ground transportation, and whether the other carrier has confirmed the same device.
| Your situation | Best next step |
|---|---|
| Mobility aid is under the published limit | Still submit weight, dimensions, battery type, and assistance needs before travel. |
| Power wheelchair is over 300 pounds | Ask WestJet for written acceptance or the alternative-carrier arrangement required while implementation is pending. |
| Itinerary uses multiple aircraft | Verify the device against every segment, including regional and partner flights. |
| Aircraft changes after booking | Reconfirm immediately; ask for rerouting if the substitute cannot carry the chair. |
| Departure is after the July 2027 deadline | Do not assume compliance in advance. Check the live policy and aircraft limits close to booking and departure. |
Why spreader plates change the engineering answer
WestJet defended the limit as a cargo-floor safety issue. A heavy wheelchair concentrates load where its wheels or base contact the floor. Spreader plates distribute that force over a larger surface, reducing pressure at any one point.
The regulator’s direction does not mean weight and dimensions never matter. Cargo-door height, hold dimensions, loading equipment, battery rules, and safe securement remain real constraints. It means the airline cannot rely on a uniform 300-pound cutoff when a practical engineering method can address the floor-load concern on most of the fleet.
Canada’s accessible transportation rules require carriers to publish the maximum mobility-aid weight and dimensions each aircraft type can carry. The Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations also create broader service obligations around acceptance, handling, return, and assistance.
This is not permission to dismantle a chair casually
A custom power wheelchair is a mobility system, not ordinary baggage. Removing a battery or controller can change weight and dimensions, but it can also introduce damage, calibration, lifting, or reassembly risks. Travelers should follow manufacturer instructions and identify which parts are safe for trained handlers to remove.
Photograph the chair before handoff, including controls, cushions, leg supports, cables, and existing marks. Attach clear handling instructions, disable powered movement as recommended, and keep any removable control in the cabin when airline and safety rules allow.
Deep Arrival’s guide to bringing a wheelchair on a plane explains the wider preparation sequence. Travelers using other devices can also review the separate guides for walkers, crutches, and canes.
What the order does not guarantee
The decision does not guarantee that every power wheelchair will fit every aircraft. A device can remain too tall or wide for a cargo door even when its weight is manageable. A small regional aircraft may also present constraints that a Boeing 737 does not.
It does not guarantee the originally selected flight if the aircraft cannot safely carry the device. The reported interim solution is alternative transportation, which may mean another airline, time, or routing. That can protect access to the destination while still disrupting the planned schedule.
It also does not settle the advance-notice question. Until the regulator publishes the remaining direction and WestJet updates its process, earlier contact gives the airline more time to verify equipment or arrange another option. Early notice should be a planning tool, not an excuse to deny someone who meets the applicable rules.
- Travel now: The published aircraft limits remain the practical first gate.
- Chair over 300 pounds: Ask for an alternative-carrier plan in writing rather than accepting a simple refusal.
- Connections: One inaccessible segment can break the whole itinerary.
- After July 2027: Recheck the live fleet policy; a deadline is not the same as proof of implementation.
- Damage prevention: Manufacturer instructions, photos, and a handling card remain essential.
- Final notice rule: The CTA is expected to address how much advance notice WestJet can require.
- Fleet rollout: WestJet should identify which aircraft receive spreader plates and when.
- Website changes: Watch the airline’s aircraft table for revised weight limits and clearer alternative procedures.
- Partner flights: Codeshare and connecting carriers may retain different limits.
- Airport execution: A good policy still depends on trained staff, working loading equipment, and accurate reservation notes.
The useful takeaway
The CTA order rejects the idea that 300 pounds can remain a blanket answer across most of WestJet’s fleet. That is a meaningful accessibility change, particularly for travelers whose customized chairs cannot be replaced with a lighter model.
The transition still needs careful trip planning. Measure the device, verify every aircraft, obtain the answer in writing, and ask WestJet to build the alternative before travel day if its own flight cannot carry the chair.
Did WestJet remove its 300-pound wheelchair limit?
Not yet. The airline was ordered to remove the cap from the vast majority of its aircraft before July 2027, but aircraft-specific limits remain on its website during implementation.
What should WestJet do if a wheelchair is over the current limit?
Reporting on the CTA order says WestJet must arrange alternative transportation with another airline until the required fleet changes are implemented.
What is a spreader plate?
It is a plate used to distribute a heavy mobility aid’s load over a wider area of the cargo floor instead of concentrating it at a few contact points.
Can every WestJet aircraft carry every power wheelchair after the change?
No. Cargo-door dimensions, hold size, loading equipment, batteries, and securement can still limit what an aircraft can transport.
How early should a traveler notify WestJet?
The regulator is still expected to resolve the notice issue. Contacting the airline before booking gives more time to confirm the aircraft and arrange an alternative, but travelers should check the final rule once published.
