Travellers woke up to a wave of schedule changes on February 14 as 117 flights were delayed and another 26 were cancelled at major Canadian hubs, according to real-time FlightAware data compiled by industry outlet Travel and Tour World. Toronto Pearson (YYZ) and Montréal-Trudeau (YUL) bore the brunt, posting 39 and 15 delays respectively, while Calgary, Vancouver and Ottawa also reported double-digit disruptions.
Airlines hit hardest include WestJet—with five cancellations and two delays—and Porter Airlines, SkyWest and Jazz. Air Canada escaped the worst, racking up only two minor delays and no cancellations, but its operations were not completely immune to weather-related knock-on effects across the network. Business travellers with tight same-day connections were advised to build in extra buffers or switch to virtual meetings where possible.
If the shifting schedules mean you need to reroute through another country at short notice, VisaHQ can take one worry off your plate. Their Canadian portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) lets you check real-time visa and eTA requirements and secure the necessary documents quickly, so you’re not held up by paperwork while airlines juggle snow-day timetables.
![Snow-day gridlock: 117 flight delays and 26 cancellations snarl Canadian airports]()
Operations teams blamed heavy overnight snow in southern Ontario and mixed precipitation in Québec for lengthy de-icing queues, taxi-way congestion and intermittent ground holds. Airport authorities deployed full snow-removal crews but warned that runway clearance cycles of 45-60 minutes could persist until late afternoon.
The ripple effect extends beyond leisure flyers. Aerospace suppliers rushing components between Montreal and Toronto for just-in-time production, as well as oil-patch executives shuttling between Calgary and eastern financial centres, all faced potential knock-ons—from missed cargo cut-offs to rescheduled board meetings.
Travel-risk consultants say February’s storm system highlights the importance of corporate “duty of care” protocols. Companies are urged to enrol staff in automated flight-status alerts, pre-approve hotel re-routing budgets and, for senior executives, consider backup charter options during peak disruption windows.
Airlines hit hardest include WestJet—with five cancellations and two delays—and Porter Airlines, SkyWest and Jazz. Air Canada escaped the worst, racking up only two minor delays and no cancellations, but its operations were not completely immune to weather-related knock-on effects across the network. Business travellers with tight same-day connections were advised to build in extra buffers or switch to virtual meetings where possible.
If the shifting schedules mean you need to reroute through another country at short notice, VisaHQ can take one worry off your plate. Their Canadian portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) lets you check real-time visa and eTA requirements and secure the necessary documents quickly, so you’re not held up by paperwork while airlines juggle snow-day timetables.
Operations teams blamed heavy overnight snow in southern Ontario and mixed precipitation in Québec for lengthy de-icing queues, taxi-way congestion and intermittent ground holds. Airport authorities deployed full snow-removal crews but warned that runway clearance cycles of 45-60 minutes could persist until late afternoon.
The ripple effect extends beyond leisure flyers. Aerospace suppliers rushing components between Montreal and Toronto for just-in-time production, as well as oil-patch executives shuttling between Calgary and eastern financial centres, all faced potential knock-ons—from missed cargo cut-offs to rescheduled board meetings.
Travel-risk consultants say February’s storm system highlights the importance of corporate “duty of care” protocols. Companies are urged to enrol staff in automated flight-status alerts, pre-approve hotel re-routing budgets and, for senior executives, consider backup charter options during peak disruption windows.
