It’s official: WestJet and Sunwing temporarily cancel all flights out of Vancouver

Holiday travel hell continues for many, especially those planning to fly out of Vancouver airport. Due to extreme weather set to hit BC, Southern Ontario, and Quebec, WestJet and Sunwing have confirmed that their flights out of YVR are temporarily cancelled.

In a statement emailed to Daily Hive, WestJet’s Chief Operations Officer Diederik Pen said that they feel “the weight of not being able to get” passengers where they need to be, especially during the holidays.

“We sincerely apologize for the continued disruption many have or will experience and appreciate your continued patience and understanding,” stated Pen. “The decision to stand down more flights is extremely difficult, but it is necessary, so that we can be best prepared to safely fly as many guests, with as little disruption as possible when the weather improves.”

We sincerely apologize to those who have been impacted by cancellations/delays and thank you for your patience, especially at this time of year.

Additional, up-to-date information if your flight has been cancelled can be found here: https://t.co/BNetNalchP

— WestJet (@WestJet) December 23, 2022

The decision will affect 126 flights and will also impact flights scheduled to depart and arrive at Toronto Pearson International, Ottawa International Airport, London International Airport, the Region of Waterloo International Airport, and Montreal-Pierre Elliot Trudeau International Airport.

WestJet is offering passengers full refunds. However, in a tweet, the airline also warns customers of “fraudulent websites and social media accounts” impersonating them.

Passengers flying via Sunwing will also be forced to change or cancel holiday travel plans as the airline announced that it has cancelled all flights out of YVR until after December 25.

Due to severe winter weather, all southbound Sunwing flights from Vancouver up to and including Dec 25, 2022 are cancelled, effective immediately. Customers with cancelled flights will receive a full refund to their original form of payment (no action required).

— Sunwing Vacations (@SunwingVacay) December 22, 2022

“We deeply apologize to our Vancouver customers for the inconvenience, and thank them for their patience as we work hard to overcome these challenges,” stated a tweet.

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Sunwing flights departing out of Kelowna, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, and Winnipeg have also been cancelled.

It’s not just Sunwing and WestJet that have been impacted.

According to a media representative for Vancouver Airport Authority, passengers can also expect “widespread cancellations from Air Canada.”

Severe weather has brought chaos at YVR the past few days, with some passengers finding themselves stuck on planes for up to 11 hours.