WestJet has agreed to pay C$4.5m (£2.4m) to settle a sexual-harassment class action brought by female flight attendants who alleged the airline failed to provide a safe workplace. The settlement, approved by a British Columbia judge, ends a case that drew national attention and raises questions about employer accountability for handling harassment and assault allegations.

The payment will be shared among 3,452 flight attendants after legal and other costs, while WestJet will commission an independent workplace inquiry into harassment, underreporting and reporting systems. The case originated with Mandalena Lewis’s allegation that a pilot sexually assaulted her during a 2010 layover and remained employed after she reported it; she said the settlement lacked an admission of wrongdoing, mandatory pilot training or sufficient accountability.