WINNIPEG — Blowing snow and freezing temperatures have caused delays, cancellations and planes to divert to other locations at the Winnipeg airport.
“In some situations the pilot sees it’s not safe to land and they have to divert elsewhere,” Tyler MacAfee from Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport said.
“The weather is affecting our de-icing system and visibility but everyone will eventually get to their destinations,” MacAfee said.
READ MORE: Extreme cold and blizzard warnings for many parts of Manitoba, including Winnipeg
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By early afternoon the departures area of the airport was packed with lineups. Some passengers have already waited up to 12 hours.
“We hope to make it to Disneyworld eventually,” one father told Global News after waiting eight hours with his two young children.
Airport authorities said everyone should reach their destination by this evening, but as of Thursday morning there were dozens of delays.
“We are always prepared for these challenges in the winter,” MacAfee said. “We hope passengers are understand that we can’t control Mother Nature.”
More to come.
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