There have been delays and cancellations, but the day hasn’t gone too badly so far at Montreal International Airport, where several travelers we met in the morning were crossing their fingers as they checked the departure board flights.
The majority of flight cancellations were caused by weather conditions in the United States and other Canadian provinces. Several departures to sun destinations popular with vacationers have been delayed, but not canceled.
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
For Saturday, “we expect normal operations,” said in an email sent around 4 p.m. Éric Forest, corporate communications advisor at Aéroports de Montréal (ADM).
The Montreal-Toronto link was one of the most affected on Friday.
Among those who have borne the brunt of the series cancellations of flights to the Queen City are ocean rescue instructors Alexandra Désilets and Jonathan Trottier, who were to travel through Toronto on their way to Hawaii, the final destination for training that they lavish.
“We knew, as organizers, that there would surely be a waiting period”, launches Alexandra to explain the presence on the floor of the terminal of the inflatable mattress that she decided to lug around, and on which sat some of the band members.
“I have to say that in the most stressful situations, you have to find a way to feel good. We had to funwe’ve been laughing since a while, ”she philosophizes, lying on the yoga mat that she rolled out in the departures area, near the Air Canada counters.
Denis Éthier’s flight to Toronto was still on schedule when he arrived at 11 a.m. He also chose to relativize rather than to worry. “It can change, that’s for sure. But I don’t get angry. There is worse than that. We are not in Ukraine after all, ”says the 75-year-old man, laughing.
“I told my world that I might come home for supper. It’s not more serious than that. There are too many people who are stressed”, analyzes the one who will spend two weeks on vacation in Puerto Vallarta after having (perhaps) celebrated Christmas in Toronto.
Arrived by car from Cornwall, Ontario, Terry-Lynn de Ruiter, his father Harry and the rest of the tribe hope that their flight to Miami will leave this Friday, otherwise they could miss the departure of their cruise ship.
At the same time, when they compare, they console each other. “It’s even worse at the Vancouver airport, and it certainly won’t get better,” said Terry-Lynn, wedged into a bench in the departures area for the United States.