A powerful snowstorm swept through southern Ontario on January 15, forcing Toronto Pearson—Canada’s busiest hub—to record the world’s worst departure delays for several hours, according to FlightAware. Every scheduled departure before 4:30 p.m. experienced a delay, and dozens were cancelled outright. Billy Bishop Airport on Toronto Island shuttered all Air Canada departures, while Porter Airlines axed multiple flights. (toronto.citynews.ca)
Air Canada, WestJet and Porter quickly issued fee-waived rebooking policies, allowing travellers to change itineraries within 60 days without penalty. Airports activated snow-removal convoys to keep runways clear, but blowing snow and low visibility hampered efforts. (globalagents.ca)
![Winter Storm Grounds Scores of Flights at Toronto Pearson and Billy Bishop Airports]()
Travellers who suddenly find themselves rerouted through alternate international hubs because of weather disruptions can quickly run into visa or transit-permit questions. VisaHQ’s Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers on-the-spot guidance and rush processing for everything from U.S. ESTA approvals to full visitor visas, ensuring last-minute itinerary changes don’t leave passengers stranded at the gate.
Business travellers faced missed connections and meeting delays, with trans-border routes to New York, Chicago and Boston hardest hit. Companies should remind travellers to build buffer time into January itineraries and monitor carrier advisories; many airlines now push alerts via mobile apps hours before official delay notices.
The storm highlights ongoing resilience challenges at Pearson, which handled 35 percent more passengers year-over-year in 2025. Airport authorities say a $200 million winter-operations upgrade—adding heated de-icing bays and a second snow-control centre—will come online before the 2026–27 season.
Air Canada, WestJet and Porter quickly issued fee-waived rebooking policies, allowing travellers to change itineraries within 60 days without penalty. Airports activated snow-removal convoys to keep runways clear, but blowing snow and low visibility hampered efforts. (globalagents.ca)
Travellers who suddenly find themselves rerouted through alternate international hubs because of weather disruptions can quickly run into visa or transit-permit questions. VisaHQ’s Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers on-the-spot guidance and rush processing for everything from U.S. ESTA approvals to full visitor visas, ensuring last-minute itinerary changes don’t leave passengers stranded at the gate.
Business travellers faced missed connections and meeting delays, with trans-border routes to New York, Chicago and Boston hardest hit. Companies should remind travellers to build buffer time into January itineraries and monitor carrier advisories; many airlines now push alerts via mobile apps hours before official delay notices.
The storm highlights ongoing resilience challenges at Pearson, which handled 35 percent more passengers year-over-year in 2025. Airport authorities say a $200 million winter-operations upgrade—adding heated de-icing bays and a second snow-control centre—will come online before the 2026–27 season.
