Home for the holidays? Airports working to clear flight backlog
Last Updated: Thursday, December 25, 2008 | 8:41 PM ET
CBC News
Air Canada cancelled all of its short- and medium-haul flights out of Vancouver on Wednesday. (CBC) A backlog of thousands of passengers stuck in airports on Wednesday continued to make travelling difficult on Christmas Day for Canadians trying to get home for the holidays.
On a day that airport officials say is usually one of the quietest air-travel times of the year, travellers in Vancouver, for instance, faced several delays Thursday, and cancellations grounded many flights after 30 centimetres of snow were dumped on the region.
In fact, British Columbia has been pounded by one of the snowiest Decembers on record. A storm earlier in the week resulted in 70 centimetres on B.C.'s southern coast, which usually gets just 55 centimetres the entire winter.
Environment Canada lifted its snowfall warning in B.C. early Thursday morning. But some parts of Vancouver Island and around Vancouver were still expected to receive up to four centimetres during the day.
By the early afternoon, Environment Canada had issued a warning that B.C. is bracing for another storm expected to hit the province's coastal area on Friday, bringing strong winds, rain and up to 10 cm of snow.
Runways have remained open at Vancouver International Airport, but Air Canada cancelled all its short- and medium-haul flights on Wednesday night.
Airline officials said they have scheduled extra flights over the next few days to help transport stranded travellers, but the airline is on a reduced schedule Christmas Day.
White Christmas
People wait in line at Pearson International Airport on Wednesday. Airports across the country are still dealing with travel backlog caused by winter storms that started before the holidays. (CBC)On Thursday, Canada celebrated its first coast-to-coast white Christmas since 1971 after storms battered much of the country over the last week.
More than 300 flights were cancelled at Pearson International Airport in Toronto after a snowstorm swept through the region last Friday, causing a domino effect resulting in flight cancellations and significant delays across the country.
The airlines have said they've been adding more planes to deal with backlogs, but the delays are taking days to clear up as winter weather continues to slam the country.
Airline officials have also been trying to encourage people not to travel, to help ease the congestion.
WestJet has offered passengers a credit worth twice the price of their ticket if they cancel.
Air Canada is allowing travellers to reschedule their flights without paying an extra charge.
Problems in the U.S.
Delays and cancellations from American airports were also causing problems for connecting flights in Canada. More than 100 flights were cancelled out of Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on Wednesday.
Pearson was reporting minor delays and cancellations on Thursday.
In Vancouver, the number of delays began to ease as the day went on. The airport was reporting minor delays and cancellations on its arrivals and departures.
Airports in Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax were all reporting minor delays and scattered cancellations on Christmas Day.
For travellers intent on taking to the air, officials are advising them to check departure times online and arrive at airports early.
Meanwhile, the weather woes continue.
Environment Canada has issued minor weather warnings for B.C., Quebec, northern Ontario and Atlantic Canada on Thursday.
A snowfall warning is in effect in parts of southern Quebec, while wind and snow-squall warnings have been issued on the East Coast.
An Environment Canada snow watch for northern Ontario is warning that the region could receive a significant amount of freezing rain on Friday and Saturday.
