Pearson Travel Woes: Sunwing Cancels Southbound Flights for Second Day as Disruptions Mount

Sunwing Airlines has cancelled all southbound flights departing from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport for the second consecutive day, prioritizing the safe return of travellers left stranded by recent weather disruptions. The move follows a similar wave of cancellations on Wednesday, where only a handful of flights managed to depart in the morning.

The airline also extended the cancellations to Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport on Thursday, further highlighting the operational strain caused by severe weather conditions, crew availability challenges, and limited hotel capacity at destinations.

In a statement posted on its website, Sunwing emphasized its commitment to prioritizing the repatriation of delayed customers. “This difficult but essential operational decision allows us to redirect our resources toward bringing delayed customers home as quickly and safely as possible,” the statement read.

A total of 27 Sunwing flights had been scheduled to depart from Pearson on Thursday. Affected passengers will receive a full refund within 21 business days, with no action required on their part, according to the airline.

The cancellations are part of a broader struggle for airlines operating out of Pearson, which has been grappling with the aftermath of back-to-back snowstorms. The winter weather chaos initially led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights over the weekend.

Hopes for a recovery on Monday were dashed when a Delta Air Lines jet incident added to the disruption, resulting in over 400 additional flight cancellations that day. The impact on passengers has been significant, with many struggling to find alternative travel arrangements during the busy holiday season.