Winter storm forces Vancouver airport to suspend incoming flights

Winter storm forces Vancouver airport to suspend incoming flights

Some 130 flights scheduled to arrive or depart Tuesday have been cancelled.

Delayed or cancelled flights have caused airfield congestion at Vancouver International Airport. (AP pic)
OTTAWA:
The Vancouver International Airport temporarily suspended all incoming flights and cancelled some departures early on Tuesday due to heavy snow and low visibility from a winter storm impacting the Canadian west coast.

A low-pressure system from the Pacific Ocean combined with very cold Arctic air over British Columbia dragged temperatures down and brought up to 25cm of snow to parts of the western province overnight, a meteorologist with Environment Canada said.

The Vancouver airport, in a statement, said flights had been delayed or cancelled due to the storm, causing congestion on its airfield.

Data from airline tracking website Flightaware showed a total of 130 flights scheduled to arrive or depart Tuesday had been cancelled, with another 38 delayed.

Environment Canada meteorologist Ross MacDonald said the Vancouver region was experiencing a “significant winter storm” that is expected to bring more snow in the morning before the weather clears out by noon.

“We’re still in the thick of it right now,” MacDonald said.

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