Snowy weather and low visibility in the Lower Mainland are leaving some travellers stranded as flights at the Vancouver International Airport (YVR) have been cancelled or delayed.
According to the airport, nearly 40 flights have been cancelled or delayed as of Monday afternoon.
YVR Communications Manager Alyssa Smith says that only represents a slim fraction of the total flights in and out each day.
“Today we’ve got about 700 flights that are arriving and departing. So if we’re even seeing 10 to 15 cancellations, we’re operating at a pretty high percentage of our flights,” Smith explained.
She says preparing all the aircraft at YVR for the icy weather is a “game of coordination.”
“In our deicing facility, we’ve got 28 deicing trucks that can clear a plane in as little as 90 seconds. But when you’ve got three, four, five, six aircrafts that are waiting to go through that queue, it’s really just a matter of making sure that we’re keeping that operation flowing.”
She recommends that travellers check their flight status before heading to the airport and allow for plenty of extra time.
Smith says people flying within Canada should have an easier time making their way through YVR.
“If you’re flying domestically, you’ve got a brand new checkpoint with new equipment that helps streamline that experience through security screening. So no need to take off shoes or remove your laptop.”