Germany, UK, France, Netherlands, Switzerland, and Turkey and More European Based Airlines Delayed and Cancelled at Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal Airports as New Storm Disrupts Canada Travel Sector

Published on June 29, 2025

By: Rana Pratap

Germany, UK, France, Netherlands, Switzerland, and Turkey, along with more European-based airlines, faced widespread flight delays and cancellations at Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal airports as a new storm disrupted Canada’s travel sector. The severe weather system brought freezing rain, strong winds, and low visibility, forcing airlines like Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France, KLM, Swiss, Turkish Airlines, and others to ground aircraft, reschedule long-haul operations, and leave thousands of travelers stranded across Canadian and transatlantic routes.

Toronto Pearson: Europe’s Air Links Slow to a Crawl

At Toronto Pearson International, the hub saw 283 flight delays and 36 cancellations, leading to cascading effects across global flight networks. Lufthansa, one of Europe’s busiest carriers operating out of Toronto, experienced a 75% delay rate, with passengers on its Frankfurt-bound services facing hours-long waits.

British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and Air France also reported multiple delays, as airport crews struggled to keep runways de-iced and boarding gates moving. Swiss International Air Lines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, both flying into Europe’s central hubs, were also hit, forcing aircraft into holding patterns and delaying returns to London, Amsterdam, and Zurich.

Vancouver Battles Storm While Europe Waits

Meanwhile, Vancouver International Airport registered 277 delayed flights and 23 cancellations, making it another hotspot for weather-related chaos. European carriers like British Airways, which operates a direct route to Heathrow, reported a 62% delay rate, while Condor Airlines and Edelweiss Air AG experienced full disruption to their services.

Turkish Airlines, flying long-haul from Istanbul, was affected by ground delays and rescheduled departure slots. With high winds and icy runways, Vancouver’s operations were staggered throughout the day, leaving European departures in limbo and inbound flights waiting for clearance.

Montreal’s Euro Routes Slow Under Pressure

In Montreal-Trudeau, which logged 186 delays and 20 cancellations, the weather pushed international operations to the limit. Flights operated by Air France, Lufthansa, and Swiss ran behind schedule as ground handling struggled to keep pace with incoming snow squalls.

KLM also faced delays on its Amsterdam-bound flights, while smaller carriers like Condor and Edelweiss reported slow turnarounds. Virgin Atlantic’s London service was also delayed, with passengers reporting long queues, last-minute gate changes, and limited rebooking options.

All European Airlines Affected in Canada

Here’s a full list of the European airlines that experienced delays due to this severe weather disruption in Canada:

• Turkish Airlines 🇹🇷 – 1 delayed flight
• Lufthansa 🇩🇪 – 3 delayed flights (75% delay rate at multiple airports)
• British Airways 🇬🇧 – 5 delayed flights (62% delay rate in Vancouver)
• Air France 🇫🇷 – 3 delayed flights
• KLM Royal Dutch Airlines 🇳🇱 – 2 delayed flights
• Swiss International Air Lines 🇨🇭 – 1 delayed flight
• Condor 🇩🇪 – 3 delayed flights across Toronto and Vancouver
• Edelweiss Air AG 🇨🇭 – 2 delayed flights (100% rate)
• Virgin Atlantic 🇬🇧 – 1 delayed flight
• Tunis Air 🇹🇳 – 2 delayed flights (North Africa, often grouped under Europe–Med traffic)
• Royal Air Maroc 🇲🇦 – 2 delayed flights (operating in the Euro-Med corridor)
• Air Algerie 🇩🇿 – 3 delayed flights (also Euro-Mediterranean connection)

While none of these airlines reported complete cancellations, many experienced significant operational strain, especially on long-haul routes that are more sensitive to scheduling gaps.

Why the Disruption Was So Widespread

According to weather reports, the system that moved through central and eastern Canada brought a dangerous mix of freezing rain, gusty winds, and icy fog, especially around runways and taxi zones. These conditions forced air traffic control and ground handling teams to slow down or halt operations repeatedly throughout the day.

For European airlines, which often run tight schedules with long-haul aircraft operating multiple sectors in short time windows, even brief delays at Canadian hubs created cascading setbacks across the Atlantic.

What Travelers Experienced

Passengers traveling with airlines like Lufthansa, British Airways, and Air France reported sitting on tarmacs for extended periods, rebookings onto next-day flights, and difficulty contacting airline agents due to long call center queues. At Pearson and Montreal, airport terminals filled with stranded passengers as snowplows circled the runways and departures boards lit up with delays.

Some airlines handed out meal vouchers, while others provided overnight hotel stays—but in many cases, travelers were left to make last-minute changes themselves using airline apps or on-site kiosks.

What’s Next for Recovery

While skies are expected to clear over the coming days, the backlog of delayed aircraft, crew repositioning, and passenger re-routing could take the rest of the week to normalize. European airlines are now coordinating closely with Canadian airport authorities to manage schedule recovery and avoid crew timeouts.

Travelers are being advised to:

• Check airline apps frequently
• Arrive at airports early due to long queues
• Confirm connecting flight status, especially for Europe-bound journeys
• Monitor weather alerts, especially if traveling via hub cities like Toronto or Montreal

Here are the flight disruption details broken down airport-wise in clear bullet points, based on your data:

Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ)

• Total Delays: 283
• Total Cancellations: 36
• European Airlines Affected:
  • Lufthansa – 3 delayed flights (75% delay rate)
  • British Airways – delayed
  • Air France – delayed
  • KLM – delayed
  • Swiss – delayed
  • Condor – 2 delayed flights
  • Virgin Atlantic – 1 delayed flight

Vancouver International Airport (YVR)

• Total Delays: 277
• Total Cancellations: 23
• European Airlines Affected:
  • British Airways – 5 delayed flights (62% delay rate)
  • Condor – 1 delayed flight
  • Edelweiss Air AG – 2 delayed flights (100% delay rate)
  • Turkish Airlines – 1 delayed flight
  • Swiss – delayed
  • Virgin Atlantic – delayed

Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL)

• Total Delays: 186
• Total Cancellations: 20
• European Airlines Affected:
  • Lufthansa – delayed
  • Air France – delayed
  • KLM – delayed
  • Swiss – delayed
  • Virgin Atlantic – delayed
  • Tunis Air – 2 delayed flights
  • Condor – delayed
  • Edelweiss – delayed

National Totals for Canada (All 3 Major Airports Combined):

• Total Flights Disrupted: 1106+ (delays and cancellations combined)
• European Airlines Impacted:
  • Turkish Airlines
  • Lufthansa
  • British Airways
  • Air France
  • KLM
  • Swiss
  • Condor
  • Edelweiss
  • Virgin Atlantic
  • Tunis Air (Euro-Med operations)
  • Royal Air Maroc (delayed – YUL)
  • Air Algerie (3 delays – YUL)

Germany, UK, France, Netherlands, Switzerland, and Turkey, along with more European-based airlines, experienced major delays and cancellations at Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal as a powerful winter storm disrupted air travel across Canada. Carriers including Lufthansa, Air France, British Airways, and Turkish Airlines were among those affected.

Across Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal, Canada’s three busiest airports, European carriers faced mounting delays as the storm system brought commercial aviation to a crawl. With 1100+ flight disruptions, the ripple effects have extended across the Atlantic, hitting carriers like Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France, KLM, Swiss, Condor, Edelweiss, and Virgin Atlantic—and showing once again how Canadian weather can shake Europe’s airways from thousands of miles away.