YVR sees flight delays, cancellations after heavy snowfall
Posted January 6, 2022 9:53 am.
Last Updated January 6, 2022 7:05 pm.
Travellers flying out of Vancouver International Airport (YVR) are being urged to check their flight status before heading out Thursday, with a number of delays and cancellations reported after the latest snow storm.
Snowfall began Wednesday night, stretching into the next morning, blanketing much of the region — including the main airport.
Despite what the winter storm brought, it didn’t come as a surprise for those working at YVR.
“The conditions are very, very snowy, very wintery, but nothing that we weren’t expecting,” said Andy Margolis, vice president of Airport Capacity and Systems Design, who notes there were 97 pieces of equipment out since flurries began.
Margolis says the delays were the result of just how much snow came down, though he notes the actual clearing on runways and taxiways went off smoothly.
“But the schedule, the volume of flights, and the volume of snow combined together creates an environment where we have to do extra things, like de-ice the planes, that slow down our overall processing time. And so that has, expectedly, given us some delays and a few cancellations,” he explained.
Flight delays and cancellations for departures and arrivals at @yvrairport this morning. Airport has been advising passengers to check with their airlines for the latest and to leave extra time to get to the airport. #BCStorm @CityNewsVAN pic.twitter.com/NgDgIxINog
— Monika Gul (@MonikaGul) January 6, 2022
Delays listed on the airport’s website were predominantly for morning flights before 11 a.m. Several cancellations were also listed, mainly for WestJet and Air Canada flights domestically and to the U.S.
No more heavy snow is expected for Thursday, though rain — and in some areas freezing rain — is in the forecast.
Margolis isn’t anticipating too many other issues for the remainder of the day. However, he says some additional delays and cancellations are possible.
“Overall, it will be a slower day here at YVR but something that we’re well prepared for and we’ve been coping with since Christmas Eve. It’s been a very winter period when it comes to snow,” he told CityNews
Starting to see some delays due to low visibility & winter weather at YVR. Passengers advised to check with their airline for latest flight info and leave plenty of time to get to YVR. Thanks for everybody's patience and all the people working in the snow! https://t.co/h5nUcCzmp1
— YVR (@yvrairport) January 6, 2022
It’s a similar story for flights out of Victoria, with a number of delays and cancellations due to conditions.
De-icing systems at YVR have been working hard the past few weeks amid extreme temperatures and snow storms. Late last month, temperatures at one point plunged so far that YVR said it was “taking longer to re-fuel aircraft.”
Margolis says the airport builds its snow response “around learnings from each year,” with rehearsals held as early as August of each year.
“Every year presents different learnings and this year will be no different. We will review the snow operation at the end of this winter period and add some of those learnings back into the plan,” he explained.
The time it takes to de-ice a plane varies based on the size of the aircraft. Margolis says the process typically can take between 90 and 180 seconds.
“For example, a 737 takes about 90 seconds and a 777 takes roughly 120 to 180 seconds, depending on a few things.”
Metro Vancouver was hit with another massive dump of snow Wednesday night, with flurries lasting into Thursday morning.
Snowfall covered roadways, leaving a mess in many communities.
People needing to get to the airport are being urged to give themselves extra time due to road conditions. YVR is recommending people take the Canada Line if they can to get to the airport.
