The Globe and Mail reports in its Saturday edition that in the wake of a backlash sparked by a viral video, WestJet has cancelled a new seat configuration that squeezed an extra row on board many of its planes and left passengers with less legroom. A Canadian Press dispatch to The Globe says that already installed on 22 of WestJet's Boeing 737s, the non-reclining seats in a majority of the cabin's economy section featured the smallest amount of leg room on any large Canadian carrier. The configuration, which had been planned for 21 more aircraft, went on to draw national attention after a TikTok video showing the tight fit for passengers drew more than 1.1 million views. Staff and travellers warned that the cramped cabin curtails safety, particularly in the event of an evacuation, and hurt the customer experience. WestJet has pointed out that the reconfiguration underwent a full certification process. In a news release Friday, chief executive officer Alexis von Hoensbroech said WestJet tried out a seat pitch that is "popular with many airlines around the globe," noting they allow for lower fares. At issue is the 28-inch "pitch" between seats versus 29- or 30-inch pitch on most other carriers' lower-tier seats.