WestJet has agreed to pay CA$4.5 million (US$3.2 million) to settle a decade-long class action lawsuit brought by thousands of female flight attendants over workplace harassment, with a British Columbia Supreme Court judge approving the settlement on August 10, 2026.
The lawsuit was originally filed in 2016 by former flight attendant Mandalena Lewis, who alleged she was sexually assaulted by a pilot during a 2010 layover in Hawaii and that WestJet failed to properly investigate after she reported the incident.
According to case details published by JFK Law LLP, the class action was formally certified by the British Columbia Court of Appeal in April 2022, following years of legal challenges from WestJet seeking to have the case dismissed or moved to a different forum.
How the settlement will work
The settlement applies to current and former female flight attendants who worked for WestJet’s mainline operations between April 2014 and February 2021 and did not opt out of the class action.
Court documents indicate that after legal fees, disbursements, and administrative costs are deducted, the remaining funds will be distributed among the roughly 3,452 eligible claimants, with each expected to receive approximately CA$470 (US$338).
Eligible class members do not need to take any action yet. Deloitte LLP, appointed as the independent claims administrator, is preparing an online claims portal, after which class members will receive instructions and a three-month window to submit a claim.
Non-monetary terms included
Beyond the payout, JFK Law LLP notes that the settlement requires WestJet to commission an independent workplace assessment examining the prevalence of harassment, the extent of underreporting, and how the airline’s harassment reporting and response systems could be improved. WestJet has agreed to share a summary of the findings with employees.
The settlement does not include an admission of wrongdoing by WestJet, nor does it mandate mandatory anti-harassment training for flight crews.
Lewis, the representative plaintiff, said that the final terms fall short of delivering full justice for those affected, though the court found the settlement fair, reasonable, and in the best interests of the class.