Air Canada is grappling with the cascading effects of severe winter weather and the Endeavor Air MHIRJ CRJ900 crash at Toronto Pearson International airport.
The Montreal-headquartered carrier said on 18 February that storms in Eastern Canada and ”a major aircraft incident that has reduced capacity” in Toronto have made for several “extremely challenging” days of operations.
The carrier cancelled some 1,300 flights over the past six days as Montreal and Toronto have been buffeted by strong winds and heavy snowfall. Large-scale snow removal operations underway in both cities.
Weather may have been a factor in the 17 January regional jet crash at Toronto Pearson, in which a Delta subsidiary-operated CRJ900 erupted in flames and overturned following a hard landing on a snowy runway. All 80 occupants – 76 passengers and four crew members – escaped the burning and inverted aircraft.
Meteorological data indicate gusting winds the time of the accident, which closed Toronto Pearson for several hours.
Delta says that 21 injured passengers were taken to hospitals to be treated for injuries, and 19 people had been released on the morning of 18 February.
Flight-tracking website FlightAware shows that Air Canada cancelled about 200 departures on 17-18 February, and that about 40% of its flights were delayed.
”We recognise that travel disruptions are inconvenient for customers, but safety must always be our top priority and sometimes ensuring safe travel requires slowing down and adapting to conditions,” the carrier says.
Toronto-based Porter Airlines has also had operations derailed by conditions at its hub and elsewhere in Eastern Canada, with about 40% of its 18 February flights delayed, according to FlightAware.
Calgary-based WestJet, Canada’s second-largest carrier, appeared less affected by disruptions in Eastern hubs.
