Winter Weather Triggers Flight Cancellations at Toronto Pearson

Flight cancellations are piling up at Toronto Pearson International (YYZ) this morning as snow and freezing rain blanket the region.

According to FlightAware, as of 7 a.m. EST, more than 15% of all flights scheduled to depart Pearson on Wednesday morning have been canceled. Arrivals aren’t faring any better, with another 15% of inbound flights scrapped.

A significant portion of those impacted are Air Canada flights. The carrier issued a change fee waiver for all flights out of Toronto Pearson on Wednesday, allowing passengers to adjust their plans without penalty, space permitting. Air Canada also has a waiver in place for Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ), which is experiencing similar disruptions.

Beyond Toronto, Air Canada’s Wednesday travel outlook warns that snow is causing issues in Regina (YQR), Saskatoon (YXE), St. John’s (YYT), and Winnipeg (YWG).

WestJet, which is also seeing its Wednesday schedule impacted, has issued a waiver for flights through Thursday, Feb. 19, across all of its Southern Ontario airports. The WestJet waiver allows passengers to make changes for free, provided they maintain the same destinations and cabins.

According to Environment Canada, Toronto is expected to see either freezing rain or snow for the next three days, including Wednesday.