Business as usual at Sudbury’s airport, despite bad weather

It's a storm that's been given lots of names -- 'monster' storm, a 'once-in-a-lifetime' winter blast -- but so far that hasn't deterred airports across northern Ontario.

It's been business as usual for the most part at facilities in Sudbury, Timmins, North Bay and Sault Ste. Marie, to the relief of holiday travellers.

"We expect to see a lot of travel (today and tomorrow) as people look to get out and see family, especially coming out of the pandemic where people have been cooped up and unable to travel," said the Greater Sudbury Airport's Jean-Mathieu Chenier.

"So we've been seeing that pick-up as of late and we had a couple of full flights already."

Anyone who might have come to the Sudbury terminal expecting the worst will be pleasantly surprised. Despite Thursday night's snow dump from Mother Nature, all flights and departures are showing on time.

Chenier said the weather could have an impact but the airport will remain open and they will continue to keep the runways ready.

"The weather and impact from other larger airports, has an impact on other airports across the region," he told CTV News.

Many of Sudbury's flights head to Toronto or connect through Pearson International in Toronto. As of noon on Friday, the facility in the GTA was showing mostly delays with a couple of cancellations.

Even still, the fact Sudbury is still operating mostly problem-free is a relief to both staff and holiday travellers.

"There's a renewed buzz in the terminal and it's nice to see passengers, it's nice to see a full airport -- airplanes being filled up again, people travelling again and happy to travel," said Chenier.

Pamela Baker was flying into Sudbury to spend the holiday with her sister. Coming from Australia, this will be her first white Christmas.

"I had heard that we had been snowed in and Toronto was being closed so I was a bit concerned about that, I came via Dallas. Sydney, Dallas to Sudbury and no problems -- except no luggage," Baker said.

Her luggage was still in Dallas, but she said arriving under the threat of a storm without being stranded is a win for this holiday tourist.

"It was seamless except for the luggage but I have one of those air tags, so I can see it -- I just can't get it," Baker said.

Jean-Guy Bureau was making the trip home to Sudbury from New Brunswick for the holidays.

"My flight was at 5:30 Atlantic time this morning, so I missed it, I'm going to miss it -- the storm," Bureau said, adding it was a bit of a relief to make it, considering what's happening in southern Ontario.

Greater Sudbury might be without problems for the moment, but it doesn't mean things won't change. Chenier said it's always a good idea to check the status of your flight before coming down.

"We definitely advise all passengers to stay close to your airline," he said.

"Make sure you have your notifications on from your airline, the airlines are the ones that decide if a plane comes or goes and so that's your first point of contact when it comes to staying up to date."

And he added that the security guidelines are still in effect, particularly this time of year, which means no wrapped presents.

For more information on the current status of flights, visit the Greater Sudbury Airport website here.