3 flights diverted to Charlottetown as freezing rain grounded planes at Halifax airport
CBC
Charlottetown Airport welcomed three unexpected arrivals Monday evening after freezing rain forced multiple flight diversions from Halifax.
Up to eight hours of freezing rain fell in the Halifax area, shutting down Halifax Stanfield International Airport for more than nine hours and leading to about 50 cancelled or diverted flights. Three of those flights were diverted to Charlottetown.
"That many hours of freezing rain, very difficult for our crews to keep up with,” Tiffany Chase, Halifax Stanfield International Airport spokesperson, told CBC News.
“We did have a full complement of crews taking care of the air field yesterday but essentially, with the chemicals and equipment that we have available to us, it's very difficult still if the freezing rain comes behind you once you clear those runaway surfaces and immediately freezes once again, so that was really the challenge on the airfield yesterday."
Chase said full closures like this are not common but do happen, especially during major ice storms.
In an emailed statement to CBC News, Doug Newson, CEO of the Charlottetown Airport Authority, said Monday evening was unusually busy at the airport when three Halifax-bound flights were diverted to P.E.I.
The flights originated from Gander, N.L.; Newark, N.J.; and Toronto, and all arrived around supper time, he said.
The Newark flight deplaned immediately and cleared customs at the airport. The Gander flight deplaned second.
The Toronto flight remained on the tarmac for about four hours, as it was expected to return to Toronto. However, Charlottetown’s runways later became icy, and the flight was ultimately cancelled.
All passengers were accommodated at Charlottetown hotels. The three flights departed Tuesday morning, all heading to Halifax, between 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.
“Getting a diverted flight at YYG does not happen often but it does occur a few times a year,” Newson said.
“However, getting three within a short window would be a rare occurrence, which resulted in a lot of extra effort and cooperation between staff, tenants and partners at the airport.”
At Halifax Stanfield International Airport, one runway reopened around 1 a.m., with a second runway reopening around 3 a.m.
While the weather cleared early Tuesday morning, disruptions continued throughout the day as airlines worked to recover from Monday’s shutdown.
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