Those planning on travelling in to or out of Halifax in the next few weeks can expect to see pre-pandemic levels of traffic. They can also expect delays and cancellations.
One pair of travellers was expecting a smooth trip home from Iceland.
Liam Doucette and Jada Farabet’s flights was delayed four times before it was finally cancelled. After spending 13 hours at a Toronto airport, he managed to get on a flight the next day thanks to help from an employee.
It took him 26 hours to get home.
Leah Batstone with the Halifax International Airport Authority agrees it’s a hectic time at the airport, but also an exciting one.
“We’re seeing lots of people traveling for the holidays to visit their family and friends,” Batstone said.
“It’s great to see the activity in the airport again after the last two holiday seasons were quite a bit quieter.”
The airport expects to see between 8,000 and 10,000 travellers each day leading up to and following Christmas Day. The airport is less busy between Dec. 24 and 26.
Current peak travel times are mornings, as well as between 3 and 5 p.m. Batstone said the airport authority encourages departing travellers to arrive at least two hours early.
“It’s really important for people to be aware of that if they are traveling over the next couple of days,” she said. “There will be a lot of activity here and there could be lineups when they arrive.”
Traveller Rae MacLean from Antigonish, N.S., was heading to Florida through Toronto on Wednesday. She says she took the early arrival advice to heart.
“It’s pretty stressful. I made sure I got here super early,” MacLean said at the airport.
“Weather delays and just a lot of flights, ever since COVID, it seems like flights have just been getting dropped, which is worrying for sure.”
According to Batstone, this week the airport has been almost as busy as it was pre-pandemic during this time.
“If you were traveling over the holidays in 2020 or 2021, the airport will certainly feel much more vibrant now,” Batstone said, adding it’s important to plan ahead.
Other than arriving two hours early, she said travellers should check their flight status online before even leaving the house.
Speeding up the process also means being prepared for airport security screening. The rules outlined on the CASA website.
“A holiday tip is that wrapped gifts aren’t able to go through,” Batstone said. “Just keep that in mind. If you’re traveling and bringing wrapped gifts, they need to go in your checked bag.”
Sometimes, flight disruptions aren’t caused locally.
“It’s important to remember that while we may not have weather here in Halifax, there could be winter weather in other parts of the country or in the United States, and that can sometimes have an effect on flight schedules here.”
This week, a cold storm from Siberia is moving across Canada, bringing with it heavy snowfall and strong winds. While Halifax won’t get snow, it can expect strong winds this weekend, according to Environment Canada.
Batstone said the airport authority anticipates some impact on flights Friday night, when the storm arrives in Nova Scotia.
Even though travelling during the holidays can be stressful for passengers, Batstone asks airport visitors to be patient.
“We are asking people to remember to have patience and show kindness if they can when they’re traveling, especially to airport employees who are really essential workers that are also here during the holidays.
— With files from Alicia Draus.