Air Canada Slashes YYZ Capacity Amid Storm & Crash

Air Canada has announced significant flight capacity cuts at Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ) following severe winter storms in Eastern Canada and the recent Delta Air Lines DL4819 crash. On February 18, 2025, the carrier issued an operational update, highlighting that the combination of harsh weather conditions and the Delta incident has created “extremely challenging” circumstances for airlines operating in the region.

“Safety must always be our top priority,” said Craig Landry, Executive Vice President and COO at Air Canada. “We recognize that travel disruptions are inconvenient for customers, but ensuring safe travel sometimes requires slowing down and adapting to conditions.” In response, Air Canada has canceled approximately 1,290 flights over the past six days. Despite these disruptions, the airline successfully transported more than 650,000 passengers during this period.

The current situation at Toronto Pearson is particularly impactful because the airport serves as Air Canada’s global hub, handling nearly half of its flights and passengers on an average day—47% of flights and 46% of passengers transit through YYZ. With recent conditions forcing a reduction in capacity, the ripple effect is felt across the airline’s network, causing delays and disruptions at connecting airports nationwide.

Under normal operations, Toronto Pearson allows around 44 flights to take off each hour. However, due to the extreme weather and the need for enhanced safety measures such as snow and ice removal, this number has dropped to as low as 16 flights per hour. The dramatic cutback is necessary to maintain operational safety during the storm, even as it slows the recovery process for the airline.

“We are currently restoring our service and adding extra flights and capacity where possible,” Landry explained. “However, the ongoing reductions in the number of take-offs and landings at our hub in Toronto are slowing our speed of recovery. We anticipate it may take several more days, depending on the weather, to return to fully normal operations.”

Before the storm, Air Canada had already scaled back its flight schedule in anticipation of reduced takeoffs and landings at major airports across Canada. This preemptive measure, aimed at minimizing the impact of weather disruptions, underscores the unpredictable nature of winter travel in the region. The additional strain caused by the Delta DL4819 crash has only compounded the situation, forcing Air Canada to balance between maintaining safety standards and meeting customer demand.

The incident with Delta Air Lines, where flight DL4819 crashed, has raised further concerns about operational safety in adverse weather conditions. Although the details of the crash are still under investigation, its timing has added to the urgency of the current operational challenges. The combined impact of severe weather and unexpected incidents like these has compelled Air Canada to reassess and adjust its flight operations at one of the busiest airports in North America.

As Air Canada works to restore its normal schedule, passengers are advised to check flight status updates frequently and allow extra time for connections, especially those transiting through Toronto Pearson. The airline remains committed to providing safe and reliable service, even as it navigates these challenging conditions. In the coming days, as the weather hopefully improves, Air Canada plans to gradually increase flight capacity at YYZ and work toward resuming full operations across its network.

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