A potent mix of snow and freezing rain swept across Southern Ontario on February 18, triggering significant air-travel disruption at Canada’s busiest airport. By 07:00 EST, FlightAware data showed more than 15 percent of departures and arrivals at Toronto Pearson (YYZ) cancelled, with ripple effects at Billy Bishop (YTZ), Ottawa (YOW) and Halifax (YHZ).
Air Canada immediately issued a change-fee waiver for all tickets to, from or via YYZ on February 18–19, allowing passengers to rebook within 10 days without penalty. WestJet and Porter enacted similar flexible policies covering multiple Southern Ontario airports and select western cities hit by the same weather system.
For corporate travel managers, the waivers offer a rare window to adjust itineraries without incurring fare differences, provided the origin and destination remain unchanged. Employers should remind travellers to use airline self-service tools to re-issue tickets quickly, as seat inventory tightens during weather events.
![Winter Storm Forces Mass Flight Cancellations at Toronto Pearson; Airlines Activate No-Fee Rebooking]()
Should passengers discover that their re-routing now requires transit through a country where entry documents are needed, VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) can accelerate the visa or eTA process. The service consolidates requirements, application forms and courier logistics, giving both individual travellers and corporate coordinators a single dashboard to track approvals—especially helpful when sudden weather disruptions force last-minute itinerary changes.
Pearson’s de-icing pads operated at reduced capacity throughout the day, compounding delays. The Greater Toronto Airports Authority advised travellers to arrive early and monitor airline alerts. Freight forwarders also reported slowdowns, with some belly-cargo shifted to dedicated freighters out of Hamilton (YHM) to meet just-in-time supply-chain commitments.
Environment Canada forecasts intermittent freezing rain through February 20, meaning further disruptions are possible. Companies with critical travel should build contingency routings via Montréal (YUL) or U.S. hubs less affected by the storm.
Air Canada immediately issued a change-fee waiver for all tickets to, from or via YYZ on February 18–19, allowing passengers to rebook within 10 days without penalty. WestJet and Porter enacted similar flexible policies covering multiple Southern Ontario airports and select western cities hit by the same weather system.
For corporate travel managers, the waivers offer a rare window to adjust itineraries without incurring fare differences, provided the origin and destination remain unchanged. Employers should remind travellers to use airline self-service tools to re-issue tickets quickly, as seat inventory tightens during weather events.
Should passengers discover that their re-routing now requires transit through a country where entry documents are needed, VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) can accelerate the visa or eTA process. The service consolidates requirements, application forms and courier logistics, giving both individual travellers and corporate coordinators a single dashboard to track approvals—especially helpful when sudden weather disruptions force last-minute itinerary changes.
Pearson’s de-icing pads operated at reduced capacity throughout the day, compounding delays. The Greater Toronto Airports Authority advised travellers to arrive early and monitor airline alerts. Freight forwarders also reported slowdowns, with some belly-cargo shifted to dedicated freighters out of Hamilton (YHM) to meet just-in-time supply-chain commitments.
Environment Canada forecasts intermittent freezing rain through February 20, meaning further disruptions are possible. Companies with critical travel should build contingency routings via Montréal (YUL) or U.S. hubs less affected by the storm.
