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Airlines work through backlog caused by ice storm

CALGARY- Despite a record-breaking travel weekend compounded with delays from a major ice storm, most people are making it home in time for Christmas.

“It was a bit of a fiasco, but you know, everyone was working really hard and everyone was super nice,” says Dana deBrito, who was delayed for hours at two separate airports, before finally making it to Calgary from the Caribbean. “Everyone is in the same situation, we just want to get home for Christmas.”

The storm in eastern Canada wreaked havoc across the country, leading to many flights being delayed for hours, or cancelled.

“We spent eight hours in Montego Bay terminal in Jamaica, waiting to try and get to Toronto, we were delayed because of the ice storms” shared newlywed Sydney Suttor, shortly after touching down in Calgary. “It is worth it, we’re happy to be in Calgary where it’s plus two [degrees] rather than stuck in Toronto with the ice storms.”
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WestJet says their staff worked long hours to try and clear the backlog of travellers, with the main goal of getting everyone home for the holidays.

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“It was just hard work by West-Jetters around the clock, rescheduling flights, re-accomodating guests, contacting each one of them,” says WestJet spokesperson Robert Palmer. “We’re talking about hundreds of people making sure they knew that there would be extra flights put on today, and we have about 13 of those in an effort to get people home for Christmas.”

He adds that a storm in Toronto is problematic because virtually every plane WestJet owns touches down there at least once during business days.

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