Snowstorm wreaks havoc on air travel plans, as hundreds more flights cancelled

By Canadian Press on January 26, 2026.

Canadian airlines continue to cancel flights by the hundreds following a record-breaking snowstorm that blasted southern Ontario and Quebec on Sunday and Monday before whirling farther east.

After hundreds of cancellations Sunday, aviation analytics firm Cirium says roughly 300 more flights across the country had been called off as of 9 a.m., affecting tens of thousands of travellers.

Toronto’s Pearson airport saw 146 departures cancelled, while the Montreal, Ottawa and Halifax airports had 92 nixed flights combined.

Environment Canada says Pearson saw the highest daily total snowfall on record with 46 centimetres on Sunday, with the airport warning of further delays on Monday as cleanup continues.

Plane tracking platform FlightAware says Air Canada alone has cancelled 117 flights so far today, or more than one in five.

The snow dump could disrupt air travel for several days as airlines and airports recover, though preparations such as shifting planes and employees in the lead-up to the storm could allow them to bounce back with relative ease during a slower time of the winter travel season.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 26, 2026.

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