by Jen Mallia
Last updated: 9:35 AM ET, Thu December 18, 2025
The snow and wind buffeting the Prairies yesterday necessitated a short closure at the Calgary International Airport (YYC) and caused flight delays that rippled across the country.
Service was temporarily suspended early Wednesday Dec. 17, 2025 in the afternoon. The airport reopened quickly, but delays were expected to continue.
"Maintaining a safe operation is Calgary Airport's top priority. In a winter storm, we clear the runways, taxiways and aprons of snow and ice to ensure aircraft can land, take off, and taxi safely," spokesperson Mackenzie Murphy told V.I.A.
"Periodically, all paved surfaces need to be shut down for snowplows, sweepers and sanders to clear the snow. Additional on-call crews have been brought in to support in getting our airfield back to operations once it is safe to resume," she says.
It is a similar situation at other airports in the Prairie provinces. Guests visiting affected airports are advised to be patient as clearing and de-icing may create delays and to check their flight status before heading to the airport.
Airline Rebooking Policies
Canadian airlines enacted flexible rebooking policies in response to the wild weather, which is moving East, expected to hit Ontario by Friday.
Air Canada: Air Canada has revised its ticketing policy for Dec. 18, 2025 to make it easier for customers travelling on an affected flight (to and from Calgary, Winnipeg and Vancouver, as well as Chicago and Thunder Bay) to make changes to their booking without penalty, space permitting.
Contact Air Canada Vacations for changes to vacation packages.
Flair: Flair is offering waived change fees for affected flights through Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg, although regular cancellation fees are still applicable. Flair States: “Conditions are changing, and our team is actively monitoring the situation. We’ll continue to share updates and notify affected customers as more information becomes available.”
Porter: Porter has a travel advisory for flights through Winnipeg for Dec. 18, 2025. It advised passengers to monitor their flight status. Travellers may go to My Bookings to learn if flights are eligible for complimentary changes. A waiver may be issued for select flights, allowing passengers to change their bookings to fly earlier or later than scheduled, avoiding potential travel disruptions.
WestJet: WestJet is offering a free one-time waiver of its rebooking and cancellation fees for affected passengers flying through Brandon, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon and Winnipeg on Dec. 18, 2025.
WestJet Vacations customers are also eligible to change their plans.
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