Sunwing Back in the Spotlight As Pearson Problems Pile Up

Sunwing Airlines cancelled 13 southbound flights from Toronto Pearson Airport yesterday, citing a need to prioritize bringing home stranded passengers, some of whom have been delayed for days in destination following two major snowstorms and Monday’s Delta Air Lines plane crash.

Up to 30 more flights are expected to be cancelled today. “This difficult but essential operational decision allows us to redirect our resources toward bringing delayed customers home as quickly and safely as possible,” the company said in a statement.

Pearson shut down all runways for nearly three hours on Monday after the Delta Air Lines flight crashed upon landing, injuring 21 passengers. While the badly damaged plane was removed from the tarmac late on Wednesday, two runways remain shut down, limiting arrivals and departures.

In a public travel advisory released by Sunwing, the airline cited recent weather disruptions, crew availability constraints and minimal hotel capacity as the reason for the delays in getting travellers home.

Sunwing said all affected customers will receive a full refund within 21 business days.

The Association of Canadian Independent Travel Advisors used its Facebook page to ask Sunwing whether its members’ commissions will be protected.

“Can you please advise how this will affect Advisors? Any commissions on those files that were booked via a travel agent are in limbo. Will you be protecting the commissions earned by managing these files on your behalf?”

Audra Langton, owner of Horizons Travel by Audra, noted that Sunwing flight cancellations extend further than Canada’s largest city. “It’s not just TO that has been affected. We’ve lost bookings in Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Maritimes are ones I know for sure.” 

While Sunwing passengers delayed in destination are attracting attention through social and other media, Sunwing Airlines is not the only carrier struggling to recover from the events at YYZ.

“As a result of the recent storm and the incident at Toronto Pearson, there have been extensive delays and Air Canada has cancelled approximately 1,290 flights over the past six days,” said Craig Landry, EVP and Chief Operating Officer at Air Canada.

“We are currently restoring our service, adding extra flights and capacity where possible. However, the necessary and ongoing reductions in the number of take-offs and landings permitted at our global hub in Toronto is slowing the speed of recovery. We anticipate it may take several more days, depending on the weather, to return to fully normal operations,” Landry added.