A rare early-season snowstorm blanketed southern Ontario over the weekend, dumping up to 10 centimetres and triggering extensive flight disruptions at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ)—Canada’s key global hub. According to FlightAware, 232 flights were delayed and 57 cancelled by late Sunday morning, with ripple effects felt at Montréal, Ottawa and U.S. trans-border airports.
Ground-handling crews battled the first significant de-icing operations of the season three weeks earlier than average. Airlines lengthened minimum connection times and urged passengers to rebook non-essential travel. Corporate travel managers report that Monday-morning itineraries for project teams heading to Calgary, New York and London saw connection misalignments and last-minute hotel stays.
![Early snowfall at Toronto Pearson causes 232 delays and 57 cancellations, snarling business travel]()
Pearson officials activated the winter-operations command centre, coordinating with Nav Canada and the Greater Toronto Airports Authority to prioritise international and long-haul departures once runways were cleared. Travellers with NEXUS or eGates still faced hour-long lines as CBSA reassigned officers to manage mis-connected baggage and overnight passengers.
The episode underscores the importance of winter-resilience planning for companies with frequent cross-border travel. Experts recommend building 90-minute buffers into itineraries through February, booking flexible fares, and enrolling travellers in airline alert apps for rapid re-accommodation. Mobility teams with time-sensitive assignees should also review force-majeure clauses in relocation agreements to cover weather-related costs.
Ground-handling crews battled the first significant de-icing operations of the season three weeks earlier than average. Airlines lengthened minimum connection times and urged passengers to rebook non-essential travel. Corporate travel managers report that Monday-morning itineraries for project teams heading to Calgary, New York and London saw connection misalignments and last-minute hotel stays.
Pearson officials activated the winter-operations command centre, coordinating with Nav Canada and the Greater Toronto Airports Authority to prioritise international and long-haul departures once runways were cleared. Travellers with NEXUS or eGates still faced hour-long lines as CBSA reassigned officers to manage mis-connected baggage and overnight passengers.
The episode underscores the importance of winter-resilience planning for companies with frequent cross-border travel. Experts recommend building 90-minute buffers into itineraries through February, booking flexible fares, and enrolling travellers in airline alert apps for rapid re-accommodation. Mobility teams with time-sensitive assignees should also review force-majeure clauses in relocation agreements to cover weather-related costs.
