YVR limits international arrivals to address delays, cancellations brought by winter storm

A limited number of international flights will be arriving in Vancouver over the next two days, as the city’s airport works to recover from a major winter storm that halted operations Tuesday.

Approximately 30 arriving international flights with 17 airlines will be impacted, according to an update on the Vancouver International Airport’s website late Tuesday night.

“We fully recognize the impact this will have on individuals and families over the holiday season. However, the congestion caused by Tuesday’s storm events make this action necessary,” the YVR update reads.

Airport officials say the move will allow them to clear congestion on YVR’s airfield, which has contributed to delays and cancellations of departing flights.

The measure came into effect as of 7 a.m. Wednesday and is set to end at 5 a.m. on Dec. 23.

Impacted airlines include All Nippon Airways, Air China, Air France, Air India, Air New Zealand, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, Eurowings, Eva Air, Hainan, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Philippine Airlines, Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Turkish Airlines.

“We strongly encourage travellers to check latest flight information with their airline before coming to the airport, particularly with another weather system forecast for tomorrow,” the release reads.

Passengers with departure plans from YVR are facing a second consecutive day of delays and cancellations. On Reddit, one user described waiting nearly five hours on the tarmac—echoing the experiences of passengers who spoke to CTV News onTuesday about hours-long waits on grounded planes.

This is a developing story and will be updated.