Canadian airline WestJet has agreed to pay C$4.5m (£2.4m) to settle a decade-long sexual harassment class action brought by female flight attendants who alleged the company failed to maintain a safe workplace. The settlement, approved by a British Columbia judge on Monday, will be distributed among 3,452 flight attendants after legal fees and expenses are deducted.

The suit stemmed from allegations by former flight attendant Mandalena Lewis, who said a pilot sexually assaulted her and a colleague, yet WestJet kept the pilot flying, endangering other employees. Lewis, who was 25 at the time of the 2010 assault in Hawaii, reported it to WestJet but the pilot remained employed. She was later fired in 2016 for "gross insubordination," which she and her legal team claim was retaliation for holding the airline accountable internally.

The settlement, finalised on 22 June after months of negotiation, includes a third-party workplace inquiry to examine harassment prevalence, underreporting, and reporting system effectiveness. However, it notably excludes mandatory anti-harassment training for pilots, an admission of wrongdoing, or an admission of breach of employee contract - all of which the suit had requested.

Lewis expressed dismay at the outcome, especially given that WestJet paid $12.5m in a baggage fee class action two years ago - nearly three times the amount in this settlement. "I'm glad it's over … but I'm just exhausted. I'm shaking my head," she said, noting she was advised this was the maximum achievable given mounting legal expenses.

The class action covered all female flight attendants who worked for WestJet between 4 April 2014 and 28 February 2021, alleging their contracts were violated because the employee policy promised a harassment-free workplace. Lewis said she was sexually assaulted by a pilot on a layover in Hawaii in 2010, and the same pilot had assaulted another flight attendant in 2008. She reported the assault to police in Maui but alleges WestJet rerouted the pilot to avoid questioning.

Eight class members had earlier asked the province's supreme court not to approve the settlement, citing the low payout and lack of accountability. "We didn't get justice here," Lewis said.

The case drew national attention to pilot behaviour and the vulnerability of young female flight attendants. A 2018 survey by the US Association of Flight Attendants of over 3,500 attendants found 68% had experienced sexual harassment in their careers, with only 7% reporting incidents to employers.

WestJet did not respond to questions about Lewis's claims, but in a statement said it was "pleased to have reached a mutually agreed upon settlement" and is "committed to strengthening our operations and training, focused on the safety and wellbeing of all WestJetters."