Cancelled flights possible in northeastern Ontario due to 'significant storm'

A winter storm expected to hit northeastern Ontario over the Christmas weekend could lead to some cancelled or delayed flights.

Environment Canada issued a special weather statement for a "significant winter storm" that will affect much of northeastern Ontario. Snow is expected to begin Thursday for areas near Lake Superior before reaching the James Bay on Friday.

Jean-Mathieu Chenier, the director of terminal and land development at the Sudbury Airport, said he would not be surprised to see flight cancellations over the weekend.

Smaller regional airports in the area tend to be the first place where, you know, the decision is made to cancel a flight.- Jean-Mathieu Chenier, Sudbury Airport

"When I look at the weather forecast, it's hitting a wide swath across Ontario," he said.

"Snow in Sudbury is one thing. You know our crews are pretty good at ensuring that our runways are clear for airlines. But when I see the nasty weather hitting south of us in our connecting airports, whether it's Pearson or Billy Bishop, I tend to get a little bit nervous about cancellations."

Chenier said cancellations at larger connecting airports can create a domino effect, which impacts smaller regional airports, like those in northeastern Ontario.

"Smaller regional airports in the area tend to be the first place where, you know, the decision is made to cancel a flight," he said.

Chenier said that's because airlines will prioritize larger flights that are more profitable and affect more people. 

He said people travelling for the holidays should contact their airlines for the latest information on their flights and possible cancellations. He also asked that people be patient, during one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.

"Make sure to give yourself enough time to get to the airport," Chenier said.

"Obviously, if there's a snowstorm in the area, it's not just affecting the airport, it's affecting the roads to and from the airport."

Terry Bos, president and CEO of the Sault Ste. Marie Airport Development Corporation, said this type of winter storm can have a big impact on whether or not there are delays or cancellations.

"It looks like it's going to be snow and not anything freezing. So I have a great maintenance team here that can plow snow no problem at all," he said.

"It's the ice that creates problems and obviously as long as it's just a lot of snow and not blowing so their visibility is OK, the aircraft can get in. We should be fine."

Bos said the holiday season is the busiest time of year for the Sault Ste. Marie Airport. But he said not a lot of additional flights have been added to the schedule for the weekend.

In North Bay all flights were still planned as scheduled, as of Wednesday afternoon.

"While we are expecting the snowfall, the overall forecast for North Bay is that there will be less here than other areas and airports in northern Ontario," said Bryan Avery, general manager of the North Bay Jack Garland Airport.

"Nonetheless over the past few days airport operations have been focused on clearing the snow from the most recent snowfalls while also preparing the airport and our snow removal equipment for the next storm."

Timmins Victor M. Power Airport manager David Dayment told CBC news they purchased new winter maintenance equipment that "will be put to the test later this year."

Dayment recommended travelers check airline websites for updates on departures and arrival times.

More bookings for bus travel

Tracy MacPhee, Ontario Northland's vice-president of passenger rail and motor coach services, said they have seen more reservations for their buses in recent days.

"It's kind of hard to say whether it's because of flight cancellations right now or just because people are booking travel over the next few days," she said.

With bad weather, MacPhee said some people might feel safer taking a bus to their destination than driving on highways themselves.

As with air travel, MacPhee said the Christmas season is the busiest time of year for Ontario Northland.

She expects they will have more than 5,000 passengers across Ontario over the weekend.

MacPhee added travelers should be patient, especially if there are road closures due to weather conditions.