Extreme cold temperatures are affecting Canada's busiest airports, with many experiencing delays and dozens of cancellations.
According to Toronto's Pearson International Airport, as of 5 p.m. EST, 30 departure flights and 39 arrivals were cancelled between Friday and Saturday, with scores of flights also delayed.
Severe weather events like a nationwide snow storm shrink the number of safe landings an airport can handle. While cancellations can cause their own frustrations for airlines and travellers, delays can lead to a bottleneck in outgoing flights, leaving passengers and staff stranded in airports for hours.
"While no one can control the weather, we can control our response to it," said Sean Davidson, a senior advisor in communications and media relations for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA). "We have spent the last year purchasing new high-tech snow removal equipment making improvements to our de-icing facility, and ensuring we are fully staffed to handle the complexities of winter operations."
Several Canadian airlines are navigating how to handle delays that are expected to bleed into the weekend.
"Out of an abundance of caution for safety, we are limiting the amount of time our crews and ground partners are working outside," WestJet said in a statement on Friday. "WestJet is proactively managing its operations and has implemented several cancellations as required."
WestJet announced it had 87 flights cancelled on Thursday and 86 cancelled on Friday.
Sunwing Airlines said it is monitoring the weather forecast closely, but travellers with flight departures between Friday and Saturday are encouraged to sign up for flight alerts and check their flight status before travelling.
In the nation's capital, Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport saw 23 incoming and outgoing flights cancelled between Friday and Saturday, while in Montreal, 34 different flights were cancelled between Friday and Saturday.
Winnipeg Richardson International Airport only had a handful of total flights cancelled on Friday. Out west at Calgary International Airport, 35 incoming and outgoing flights were cancelled on Friday, while at Edmonton International Airport, 25 incoming and outgoing flights were cancelled between Friday and Saturday, with dozens more delayed.
"As a winter airport, we plan and practise for different situations to ensure safety and efficiency for our passengers and staff," said Megan Hall, senior communications advisor for Edmonton International Airport. "As we are currently experiencing flight impacts due to weather, we encourage people to check their flight status before arriving at the airport and leave extra time to get here."
Vancouver International Airport saw 18 flights cancelled, with nearly 40 delayed throughout the day.
"We are seeing continued delays and cancellations on flights arriving into Vancouver today, as severe winter weather conditions continue to have an impact across Canada and the United States," said Adriana Unger, communications specialist for Vancouver Airport Authority. "We continue to advise travellers to check with their airline before coming to the airport."
In the U.S., the winter weather is causing major disruptions for air travel, with nearly 2,000 flight cancellations Friday morning, the highest number since July 2023. While most of the delays are due to a winter storm pounding the Midwest, as more than 650 flights were cancelled at Chicago O'Hare International Airport alone, cancellations due to the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max 9 planes are also contributing to the totals.
Alaska Airlines and United Airlines have been marred by hundreds of flight cancellations this week after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded more than 150 of the 737 Max 9 planes. The FAA's decision came after a piece of the fuselage blew off an Alaska Airlines flight last Friday, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the plane that ripped headrests off seats as the plane flew at 16,000 feet shortly after talking off from Portland, Ore., carrying 177 people.
Alaska Airlines said in a statement Wednesday that it cancelled all flights on 737 Max 9 aircraft through Saturday – about 110-150 flights per day.
None of Canada's airlines operate the 737 Max 9 aircraft.
With files from CNN
The Prime Minister's office says Justin Trudeau spoke this afternoon with former president Donald Trump in the wake of a deadly shooting at one of his campaign rallies on Saturday.
The FBI identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pa., as the suspect in Saturday's attempted assassination of former U.S. president Donald Trump at a campaign rally.
The University of British Columbia is investigating a now-deleted social media post from one of its faculty members that appeared to be wishing an assassination attempt on Donald Trump had been successful.
An apparent assassination attempt has many questioning how a shooting that wounded former U.S. president Donald Trump was even possible.
A volunteer human chain was walking the water’s edge in Port Stanley, Ont. Sunday in search of a boy went missing in Lake Erie. Around 2:30 p.m. OPP and Central Elgin Fire were dispatched to the main beach after a 14 year old entered the water and did not resurface.
The LCBO has reversed its plan to open select stores on Friday as retail workers continue to strike across the province, according to a statement from the Crown corporation on Sunday.
Argentina won its second straight Copa America championship, overcoming Lionel Messi’s second-half leg injury to beat Colombia 1-0.
American actor Shannen Doherty, best known for her role as high school student Brenda Walsh on hit 1990s television drama 'Beverly Hills, 90210,' has died at age 53 following a years-long battle with cancer.
Former first lady Melania Trump issued her first public response since her husband, former President Donald Trump, was injured in a shooting at one of his rallies on Saturday.
The University of British Columbia is investigating a now-deleted social media post from one of its faculty members that appeared to be wishing an assassination attempt on Donald Trump had been successful.
Volunteers with North Shore Rescue were kept busy Saturday, responding to four calls for help and working into the early hours of Sunday morning.
A motorcyclist was severely injured in a crash with an SUV Sunday afternoon, according to the Kelowna RCMP.
Argentina won its second straight Copa America championship, overcoming Lionel Messi’s second-half leg injury to beat Colombia 1-0 Sunday night on Lautaro Martínez’s 112th-minute goal.
Several parts of the province, including much of the GTHA, remain under a heat warning as a "hot and humid" air mass is making it feel like 40 C.
The LCBO has reversed its plan to open select stores on Friday as retail workers continue to strike across the province, according to a statement from the Crown corporation on Sunday.
A man is dead after he was found injured in a southeast Calgary alley on Sunday.
Water consumption dropped again Saturday in Calgary as city officials consider turning up the flow in coming days.
A horse was euthanized after suffering an injury during the chuckwagon races Saturday night at the Calgary Stampede.
Ottawa Bluesfest is wrapping up Sunday night with headliner Nas taking to the main RBC stage at 9:30 p.m.
From living rooms to pubs to TD Place Stadium, thousands of people in the nation’s capital took in the Euro 2024 final between Spain and England.
For the 10th day in a row, all Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) retail stores in the province were closed as negotiations between the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) and the provincial government reached a standstill earlier this month.
On the heels of an attempt to kill him, former U.S. President Donald Trump called Sunday for unity and resilience as shocked leaders across the political divide recoiled from the shooting that left him wounded but 'fine.'
Four years ago, the City of Montreal promised a new social housing project in a neighbourhood that desperately needs it, but today, that Parc-Extension building sits empty and in disrepair.
The Pointe-Claire Horticultural Society is celebrating its 90th anniversary, and members toured five gardens to mark the occasion. They also visited the home of a Theo Wouters, who for the first year has had to garden without the love of his life: Roger Thibault.
Two people are in hospital in critical condition after an apartment fire in northeast Edmonton on Saturday night.
With Alberta currently in the peak of tornado season, here is what you need to know if you're camping and caught in a severe storm.
Local NFL player Chuba Hubbard was in Sherwood Park on Sunday to hold a free football camp for kids.
A single-vehicle crash in Sheffield, N.B., has left three people dead on Sunday.
Police are investigating after a fire at a cottage in Cavendish led to the death of one person, and left three others injured.
One man was sent to hospital following a fire on a boat at the marina on the Pointe-du-Chene Wharf early Sunday afternoon.
The University of Manitoba has asked pro-Palestinian protesters to take down their encampment by Monday morning, or face legal action.
Some Winnipeg residents are being asked to stay inside and close their windows overnight as the city prepares to start fogging for mosquitoes.
A wild bird found its way into a Winnipeg City Hall stairwell Saturday, before it was safely rescued and removed by animal service crews.
A man is dead following a water-related incident at Waskesiu Lake, according to Saskatchewan RCMP.
No one was harmed after a garage fire broke out in east Regina Sunday morning.
The B.C. Lions snapped the Saskatchewan Roughriders' undefeated streak with a 35-20 victory on Saturday.
Emergency services are searching for two people who may have been in distress on the Grand River in Kitchener.
The warm July weather drove boaters out for the annual Pottahawk weekend.
A motorcyclist has died after a serious collision in Woolwich Township.
A man is dead following a water-related incident at Waskesiu Lake, according to Saskatchewan RCMP.
Out in front of the Bessborough Hotel, Britannia rules the roads with the annual Brits by the Bess car show. Dozens of cars of British make and model are on public display, drawing enthusiasts and curious onlookers alike.
Saskatoon fire crews were on scene of fiery incident early Sunday morning.
The Robinson Huron Treaty Litigation Fund is advising that the distribution of the multi-billion dollar treaty annuities settlement for past compensation may be “affected” by a pair of outstanding legal matters.
The FBI identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pa., as the suspect in Saturday's attempted assassination of former U.S. president Donald Trump at a campaign rally.
The Prime Minister's office says Justin Trudeau spoke this afternoon with former president Donald Trump in the wake of a deadly shooting at one of his campaign rallies on Saturday.
A volunteer human chain was walking the water’s edge in Port Stanley, Ont. Sunday in search of a boy went missing in Lake Erie. Around 2:30 p.m. OPP and Central Elgin Fire were dispatched to the main beach after a 14 year old entered the water and did not resurface.
From a late headliner cancellation, to near record rainfall, organizers of the 20th edition of Rock the Park (RTP) say they are “proud of their team.” The festival at Harris Park in downtown London, Ont. drew a record 44,000 people over the four days.
St. Joseph’s Health Care London said that the issue required the closure of its doors earlier than expected.
A 75-year-old man is dead after an incident at a Barrie home on Saturday night.
A severe thunderstorm watch has ended for parts of Simcoe County
Thousands of people were in Innisfil this weekend as the annual Ribfest event made a return.
After two years of organizing soapbox races for kids, the Windsor-Essex Soapbox Derby Association is ramping up efforts to host soapbox races for adults.
On the heels of an attempt to kill him, former U.S. President Donald Trump called Sunday for unity and resilience as shocked leaders across the political divide recoiled from the shooting that left him wounded but 'fine.'
Although we had a scorcher this weekend, with a heat warning, if you have a barbeque or other outdoor enjoyment planned, this week could be the perfect time to do it!
A brush fire caused by youths setting off fireworks at a popular park in Nanaimo, B.C., the day the ban took effect has the city's mayor on edge about the province's vulnerability to wildfires as the season heats up.
At Okini Restaurant and Bar in Vancouver, co-owners Steph Wan and Kevin Lin craft gorgeous plates of AAA steak served with duck fat potatoes and broccolini, and golden eagle sablefish doused in a fuji apple broth and adorned with zucchini.
A recent attack on a Victoria paramedic and the subsequent threats against cops who were called in to help mark the latest incidents of violence against local first responders, the city's police chief said in announcing emergency personnel would no longer respond to calls from a specific neighbourhood without police backup.
A motorcyclist was severely injured in a crash with an SUV Sunday afternoon, according to the Kelowna RCMP.
A search effort is underway for a man who was swept away by the North Thompson River in Kamloops on Friday.
One person is dead and 17 others have been displaced after a stubborn fire burned overnight in a Kelowna apartment building.
Lethbridge police are investigating after a bullet hole was discovered in a southside home.
The judge in the trial of two men charged with conspiracy to commit murder at the border blockade at Coutts, Alta., has cautioned the jury about an opening statement by a defence lawyer.
The chance to host the Memorial Cup in Lethbridge got one step closer on Thursday.
The driver of an ATV fled the area when police tried to stop them in the early morning last week.
The Robinson Huron Treaty Litigation Fund is advising that the distribution of the multi-billion dollar treaty annuities settlement for past compensation may be “affected” by a pair of outstanding legal matters.
Northern Ontario distilleries and breweries have been busy keeping up with increased demand for their product since the LCBO strike began on July 5.
A change in wind direction, cooler temperatures and possible precipitation made for favourable conditions for attacking the wildfire threatening Labrador City, the premier of Newfoundland and Labrador said Sunday.
The fire that forced thousands out of their homes in Labrador City Friday night was gently smoldering and under control this week, but a sudden change in conditions caused it to explode into 'an extremely aggressive inferno.'
A new government plan to expand the national parks system might bring some to your backyard.
A rare ammonite fossil – about 75 million years old - has been discovered in eastern Saskatchewan.
Seven-year-old goalie Hudson Hardill is an unlikely Calgary Flames fan, being that he lives in Peterborough, Ont., and his dad Chris is a Toronto Maple Leafs fan.
A WestJet employee's chance encounter on a recent flight spiced up her life in a big way.
A Kelowna, B.C., man says he's always liked gnomes because they have a 'bit of mystery' to them. And he recently got a taste of that whimsy when his garden gnomes disappeared, and came back to him in a peculiar fashion.
After more than 50 years, Toronto's iconic 'Leslieville dollhouse' will soon have a new owner.
One man is bringing a blast from the past to a Winnipeg community.
Some say a photograph is simply a memory frozen in time – and a high school graduation photo taken in Churchill, Man. takes that adage to a completely new level.
A rising track and field star overcame a big hurdle in his dream to represent Canada at the Olympics.
Would-be homebuyers who backed out of a deal to purchase a B.C. property in a hot real estate market have been ordered to pay the seller the difference between what they offered and what he was able to sell the home for when the market cooled.
The Prime Minister's office says Justin Trudeau spoke this afternoon with former president Donald Trump in the wake of a deadly shooting at one of his campaign rallies on Saturday.
Canada's security apparatus is 'exercising increased vigilance' in the wake of this weekend's deadly shooting at former U.S. president Donald Trump's rally in Pennsylvania, the federal public safety minister said Sunday.
Canada's prime minister and other leaders condemned political violence following a shooting at a Republican rally Saturday, during what appears to have been an assassination attempt targeting Donald Trump.
In the years following an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, women are more likely than men to treat anxiety or depression, according to a new report.
With temperatures rising for the oncoming summer, many shutdowns due to the toxic blue-green algae has made for a tough time finding a safe spot to swim in the region – with one of the most recent shutdowns at Cunard Pond Beach in Halifax.
Sex and gender are often conflated or equated in everyday conversations, and most American adults believe a person’s gender is determined by sex assigned at birth. But a new study of nearly 5,000 nine and 10-year-olds found that sex and gender map onto largely distinct parts of the brain.
The Federal Court of Canada is being asked to declare that only humans — and not artificial intelligence — can be considered authors under Canada’s copyright law.
The Webb Space Telescope has captured a pair of intertwined galaxies glowing in the infrared.
A SpaceX rocket has failed for the first time in nearly a decade, leaving the company's internet satellites in an orbit so low that they're doomed to fall through the atmosphere and burn up.
American actor Shannen Doherty, best known for her role as high school student Brenda Walsh on hit 1990s television drama 'Beverly Hills, 90210,' has died at age 53 following a years-long battle with cancer.
A wedding reception on Sunday wrapped up the monthslong celebrations as the youngest son of Mukesh Ambani, Asia's richest man, married his longtime girlfriend with a price tag running into the millions.
Alec Baldwin made his first public comments to thank his supporters Saturday after the stunning early end to his involuntary manslaughter trial.
The company that owns the salvage rights to the Titanic is undertaking its first expedition to the ship's wreckage in years, and those involved in the mission said they have both heavy hearts and lofty goals for a trip happening a year after a submersible disaster involving another firm killed five people.
The provincial regulator responsible for policing B.C.'s real estate industry has ordered a former Realtor to pay $130,000 and cancelled her licence after determining that she committed a variety of professional misconduct.
A Black man has filed an employment discrimination lawsuit against a hotel in Detroit, Mich., alleging the hotel only offered him a job interview after he changed the name on his resume, according to a copy of the lawsuit obtained by CNN.
One of the most effective retirement savings strategies is to pay yourself first. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines strategies for consistently saving and investing over time and building a solid nest egg.
One writer used to make do with deli sandwiches and brought-from-home snacks, but now they have a secret weapon for quick but satisfying road trip lunches.
As North America navigates what U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy described last year as a loneliness epidemic, employers and employees are trying to address what for many people is a lack of real friendships at work.
Argentina won its second straight Copa America championship, overcoming Lionel Messi’s second-half leg injury to beat Colombia 1-0.
Spain is the king of European soccer for a record fourth time. For England, it's another agonizing near-miss in the team's decades-long tale of underachievement.
Gareth Southgate is leaving his future as England manager open for now after his team's 2-1 loss to Spain in the Euro 2024 final.
Police north of Toronto have released dramatic video of a car chase that led officers across York Region in pursuit of a Lamborghini SUV that was clocked at speeds in excess of 200 km/h.
A 31-year-old man from Milford Bay is facing multiple charges following a traffic stop last week.
As many as four out of 10 Canadians say it is 'important' to know if a vehicle they're interested in purchasing is more likely to be targeted by thieves, according to a new Nanos Research survey.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
