Over 1,000 Flights Cancelled by Westjet, Air Canada Due to Extreme Weather

The tail of an Air Canada aircraft is seen behind a pile of snow at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C., on Dec. 21, 2022. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)

Over 1,000 flights have been cancelled or delayed across Canada in recent days as a severe winter storm sweeps across the country. Motorists have been warned to stay off the roads as a number of highways have been closed in some provinces due to collisions and the risk of an avalanches.

Major international airports, including the Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), the Ottawa International Airport (YOW), and the Vancouver International Airport (YVR) have advised travellers to check their flight status before leaving for the airports.

According to the online flight-tracking platform FlightAware, on Dec. 23, the YYZ saw a total of 361 flights delayed and 382 cancelled. The YOW had 52 flight delays and 62 cancellations, and the YVR had 135 delays and 303 cancellations.

YVR said it is providing hotel accommodation and care services to some 400 travellers stranded at the airport. The airport said both Air India and Singapore Airlines cancelled flights Friday and are facing lengthy delays for issues unrelated to weather.

WestJet said in a news release that it had “proactively cancelled” flights beginning 9 a.m. on Dec. 23, affecting flights to and from Toronto, Ottawa, London, and Waterloo, Ontario, and Montreal, Quebec.

“The prolonged and extreme weather events that continue to impact multiple regions across Canada are unlike anything we’ve experienced. With the additional storms forecasted to impact British Columbia, Southern Ontario and Quebec, we are taking a proactive and measured approach to protect our operations and prioritize recovery flying this weekend,” the company said.

“The decision to stand down more flights is extremely difficult, but it is necessary, so that we can be best prepared to safely fly as many guests, with as little disruption as possible when the weather improves.”

When operations will resume depends on weather conditions on Dec. 24, WestJet said.

Air Canada said it has cancelled “a number of flights” in Ottawa, Montreal, and Toronto. It also issued a list of flights that could face potential disruptions from Dec. 23 to Dec. 25, affecting flights to and from multiple airports in Canada and the United States.

The company said in a Dec. 22 news release that it introduced a flexible rebooking policy to support customers affected by the extreme weather. The policy applies to customers who have purchased their tickets no later than Dec. 21 and are travelling between Dec. 20 and Dec. 28, and whose itinerary include flights to, from, or via YVR, YYZ, YOW, and the Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International (YUL).

Risk of Avalanche

Authorities in British Columbia are warning drivers of avalanche risks created by the combination of heavy snow and freezing rain.

The Transport Ministry said in a news release that there’s a moderate to high avalanche risk in parts of Highway 3 and Highway 1.

Highway 1 is closed near Jackass Mountain, northwest of Vancouver, from the evening of Dec. 23 to the following morning due to a “moderate avalanche hazard,” while the section near Fraser Canyon is also considered a moderate avalanche hazard, with a possible transition to “extreme hazard” status by the morning of Dec. 24.

There are also hazardous road conditions on Highway 3 from Hope to Princeton and Princeton to Hedley, lasting until Dec. 25, and drivers are urged to avoid non-essential travel.

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have reported up to 100 vehicles involved in multiple collisions on the Highway 401 corridor in southwestern Ontario.

“Stay home,” the OPP highway safety division said on social media.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.