Five-page report sent to Transport Canada warning of safety hazards
Weeks before a viral video and public backlash forced WestJet to abandon its densified cabin layout, which meant tighter seating arrangements, a WestJet flight attendant warned Transport Canada that the reconfigured seating posed an “imminent risk”.
A five-page safety hazard report written by a Calgary-based flight attendant – acquired by CBC through an Access to Information request – shows Transport Canada’s civil aviation branch received the warning on Dec. 5, 2025.
The report was submitted weeks before a Dec. 26 video showing an Alberta family struggling with legroom went viral and focused national attention on the safety and practicality of WestJet’s 180-seat configuration.
‘Squeeze an extra row’
In the report, the flight attendant described an incident on a Nov. 29 flight from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, to Calgary, operated on a reconfigured aircraft that had been altered to “squeeze an extra row on board,” CBC noted. A passenger seated on the aisle, described as having a “large height and body structure (not obese related),” was unable to fit properly in his seat. He became “physically trapped” and “remained stuck in his seat,” unable to stand or exit the row on his own.
“I lifted the armrest to create additional clearance, and his daughter (seat 20B) assisted by pushing his legs to the side. Only then, was he able to stand by himself and exit the row,” the flight attendant wrote.
“He could not self-evacuate ... due to the new pitch, legroom and lack of space,” the report continues. The WestJet crew member warned that, in an emergency, the lack of space would endanger not only the affected passenger but also those in the middle and window seats, who could be trapped and unable to exit the row, CBC reported.
Seating change reversed
On Dec. 30, Transport Canada replied to the complainant, saying it had followed up with WestJet. The regulator said its National Flight Operations division was “satisfied that the operator is assessing this hazard and others associated with the 180-seat cabin configuration in accordance with the operator’s approved Safety Management System” and that it would continue to monitor how the airline managed the risks, according to CBC News.
Weeks after the report was filed, WestJet’s seating configuration came under intense public examination when a Dec. 26 video – showing an Alberta family struggling with cramped legroom – spread widely on social media.
On Jan. 26, WestJet announced it was reversing the 180-seat layout.
