Lightning causes major delays at Calgary's airport
CBC News
Posted: Jun 13, 2012 5:27 PM MT
Last Updated: Jun 13, 2012 5:40 PM MT
Officials with Calgary’s International Airport lifted a lightning advisory — but the four-hour red alert continues to cause major delays for local fliers.
While operations are back up and running, airlines and crews are now working to get back on track — which is going to take "some time" according to the Calgary Airport Authority.
The airport was under a red alert, which means that there is lightning activity within five miles of the airport and ground crews cannot work outside.
“At this time, 32 flights have been cancelled through our network due to the weather in Calgary and our guest solutions team is working to re-accommodate these guests,” said Westjet’s Jennifer Sanford said in an email during the alert. “We currently have six aircraft holding short of the gate and five flights waiting for takeoff in other cities for their arrival into Calgary.”
Long-term flights were taking priority at the airport during the alert, with many short-term flights being delayed or temporarily cancelled.
“On our end, we have started to marshal in the aircraft to the gate that have been waiting as there hasn't been a lightning strike within three miles of the airport in the last 40 minutes,” said Sandford around 5 p.m. MT.
Angela Mah from Air Canada said the airline cancelled some flights, including their non-stop flight to Narita, Japan, due to the length of the red alert.
They also diverted two flights inbound to Calgary from Ottawa and Toronto to Edmonton.
"The red alert situation is expected to continue on [and] off for the rest of today," she said. "Unfortunately with these situations, absolutely nothing can move on the ramp for safety reasons, but we are monitoring it closely and will operate just as soon as it is safe to do so,” she wrote in an email to CBC News.
Calgary Airport Authority say passengers should check with airlines or at yyc.com to check the status of their flights.
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