Thursday's snowstorm is still playing havoc with Canadian air travel
Toronto and Montreal’s major airports continue to recover from Thursday’s snowstorm and travellers should expect some delays.
Airfield crews have been working non-stop to clear the 23 centimetres of snow that fell on Thursday and ensure planes can operate efficiently, according to an official at Pearson International Airport in Toronto. But he is warning travellers about long lineups.
In an early Friday morning interview with CP 24 , Pearson Airport duty manager John Ventresca said “it’s recovery day.”
There are “lots of people … in the terminals today, so come a little bit earlier,” he said. “Give yourself some extra time if you need to check in a bag, as there will be some lineups, especially at check in counters, and at the security lineups.”
In an early morning tweet, Pearson posted on X that they are “expecting 127,129 travellers to move through the terminals today, with about 40 per cent flying through Terminal 1.”
It’s a chilly start to the day, with the wind chill making it feel like −14°C on the airfield this morning.
— Toronto Pearson (@TorontoPearson) January 16, 2026
We’re expecting 127,129 travellers to move through the terminals today, with about 40 per cent flying through Terminal 1.
Our crews were out on the airfield throughout… pic.twitter.com/WExHMqtjEt
Ventresca noted that airlines have added “extra sections for some of the flights that were cancelled yesterday.”
Because of the backlog, he urged travellers to “check in on (their) mobile app or online. You’ll avoid some of the lineups, especially if you don’t have to check bags.”
He also warned of potential delays for travellers to Canadian cities hit hard by the weather, such as Winnipeg and Ottawa.
“Check with the airlines that those flights are operating on time,” said Ventresca.
He also urged patience among U.S.-bound travellers.
“Those going into New York or Washington, check with the airlines going there, as well, as they have (had) some impacts with some air traffic management initiatives.”
Pearson’s X account points to delays in the U.S., as noted in a post by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. Bad weather may delay flights connected to several areas such as Florida, New York, Washington, Philadelphia and Seattle.
✈️ Traffic Report: ❄️ and ice could slow traffic at @fly2ohare, @fly2midway and @mspairport. Gusty ????️ may delay flights in Florida, New York, Washington, D.C. and at @PHLAirport and @CLTAirport. Low ☁️ at @flySEA. https://t.co/teUeDe1ON5 pic.twitter.com/duyqTA4KKB
— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) January 16, 2026
As of 3 pm Friday afternoon, Flightstats.com said delays at Pearson were “excessive and increasing.”
Around the same time, Flightaware.com said that “inbound flights (are) delayed at their origin an average of 1 hours 24 minutes” with “departure delays (at) an average of 38 minutes and increasing.”
The Trudeau airport in Montreal “has been fully operational despite the snowfall,” according to airport spokesperson Eric Forest, who responded to a query from National Post in an email on Friday afternoon.
However, Forest suggested contacting the “ airlines directly for more information, as they are responsible for managing their flights (delays, cancellations, and customer service).”
For Montreal’s Trudeau airport, FlightView said the delays for arrivals and departures were similarly delayed: 73 per cent on time, 21 per cent late and 6 per cent very late.
Flightstats said, delays were “low and decreasing.”
Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.