What was supposed to be a routine hop from Denver to Calgary turned strange on Thursday, when passengers aboard a WestJet flight were told to deplane on a runway at Denver International Airport and load onto buses back to the terminal. Airport officials stressed that no one was hurt, and investigators quickly moved in to figure out what went wrong during taxi.
What happened
According to The Denver Post, WestJet Flight WS1571 pushed back from its gate at about 12:08 p.m. but never finished taxiing before passengers were told to get off the aircraft on the tarmac. The deplaning happened around 12:30 p.m., the paper reported, adding that WestJet could not immediately be reached for comment. Flight-tracking data confirms that WS1571 normally operates between Denver and Calgary, per Flightradar24.
Airport response
"No one was injured," Ashley Forest, a public information officer at Denver International Airport, told The Denver Post. Forest said passengers were taken by bus from the runway back to the terminal after they left the aircraft. The outlet also reported that Denver police declined to comment and referred all questions to the airport and the airline.
Flight details and next steps
The flight is listed with a scheduled departure time of about 12:15 p.m. on public timetables, according to Trip.com, and flight records show the route as a routine Denver to Calgary run. Airport officials said they were investigating the cause of the incident and had not yet released further operational details. Passengers affected by runway deplanings are typically assisted under airline customer-service policies while an aircraft is inspected and cleared to return to service.
Why officials err on the side of caution
This month, DIA has been under heightened scrutiny after a May incident in which a Frontier jet struck a person on the runway and prompted the airport to review its evacuation procedures, per CBS Colorado. That episode underscored why airport and emergency crews sometimes tell passengers to exit an aircraft on the tarmac as a precaution, even when no injuries are reported.
Airport officials said more information will be released as the investigation continues. Affected passengers are being advised to check flight status directly with WestJet or Denver International Airport for the latest updates.
