The Nataraj family in the Saskatoon airport prior to boarding a December, 2024 flight. Nataraj and his family recently cancelled a portion of a coming trip because of the size of his daughter Georgia's powerchair, despite flying with the airline previously.Supplied
A weight restriction for mobility aids is causing tension and stress for some WestJet customers, who face yet another barrier to free movement.
A policy on the airline’s website limits wheelchairs and scooters to 300 pounds for the majority of its aircraft. For many users of powerchairs − electric, motorized, wheelchairs that are often heavier − the restriction means they’re not able to fly with their preferred mobility tools.
Richard Nataraj and his family recently cancelled a portion of a coming trip because of the size of his daughter’s powerchair.
According to Mr. Nataraj, no airplanes flying out of the family’s home airport in Saskatoon are able to accommodate the mobility device under WestJet’s current weight requirements, despite the fact Mr. Nataraj and his daughter, Georgia, had flown with the chair as recently as April, 2025.
“Part of the most frustrating thing about this is that we know [the chair] fits. And we know the flights that we’ve taken for years out of Saskatoon have been from the same aircraft,” Mr. Nataraj said. “I think when you are preventing a certain group of people from accessing something that by law is meant to be fully accessible, that is the definition of discrimination.”
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When reached for comment, WestJet spokesperson Jen Booth told The Globe and Mail the weight limits for assistive devices are listed on the airline’s website in compliance with regulations and aren’t new. Individual cases would need to be reviewed based on their circumstances, she stated.
For Mr. Nataraj’s daughter, travelling without her chair is not a suitable option. In addition to the added stress of using an alternative mobility device, the powerchair supports many important day-to-day functions, as well as aiding her digestion and helping to support her bones through putting pressure on her body. The family said WestJet told them that the decision to deny transporting the chair was due to safety issues.
“I think by preventing Georgia from flying on this flight solely because of the weight of her wheelchair, it would be similar to preventing an individual from getting on this flight solely because of the weight of their own body,” Mr. Nataraj said. “When you look at it like that, it’s clear that you’re really blocking someone from using something that they should have access to.”
Earlier this month, Manitoba resident and former MP Steven Fletcher penned a Substack post about his recent experience with the airline refusing to transport his wheelchair because of weight restrictions.
“A single sentence from a corporate policy manual now determines whether I can travel in my own country,” he wrote on the website. According to Mr. Fletcher, he had flown with his chair dozens of times without incident.
“They wouldn’t accept the chair and that’s not consistent with my history [with the airline] for the last 30 years. It’s never been a problem,” Mr. Fletcher said during a phone interview with The Globe.
After his wheelchair was denied, Mr. Fletcher filed a complaint with the Canadian Transport Agency. Recapping WestJet’s filings to the regulator, Mr. Fletcher says the company’s decision was based on an engineering analysis conducted in partnership with the aircraft manufacturer, meant to ensure mobility aids did not jeopardize the aircraft’s airworthiness.
“They had come to the conclusion that the airworthiness of the aircraft was somehow compromised. From a common sense perspective that doesn’t make any sense because airlines all over the world fly these power wheelchairs,” he said.
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WestJet’s Ms. Booth stated that the airline’s policies comply with Canada’s Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations.
“Specific to section 56 of these regulations, we have published on our website information about the maximum weight and dimensions of mobility aids that each make and model of our aircraft is capable of transporting. This information has been published since 2020 and our weight limits are not new.”
Ms. Booth stated that WestJet’s annual accessibility progress report in 2024 noted some of its maximums increased and none were reduced. In regard to mobility device and powerchair users who are no longer able to use routes they previously travelled without issue, the situations would need to be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
“With respect to guests who may have previously travelled with WestJet with mobility aids exceeding the established weight limits, a review of each case would be needed to understand the specific circumstances. For example, this could happen when we receive incorrect weight information or information is missing, such as during an online booking where guests don’t speak to a WestJet agent.”
While WestJet states its policies are not new, some customers have found that enforcement of the weight limits is. For his part, Mr. Fletcher hopes WestJet is able to resolve the issue.
“I’d like to see WestJet succeed, and Canadians with disabilities succeed,” he said. “It’s bothersome when WestJet has acted in this way without justification.”