Travelers across Canada, Cuba, Mexico and the wider Caribbean are facing another day of severe disruption as WestJet grapples with a fresh wave of schedule problems. On Friday, February 13, 2026, at least 15 WestJet flights were cancelled and 77 delayed, affecting passengers in major Canadian hubs such as Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa and Halifax, along with sun destinations including Havana and Cancun. The latest operational turbulence comes amid harsh winter weather at home, an escalating fuel crisis in Cuba and broader strategic schedule cuts that are reshaping how and where Canadians can fly.
Disruptions Spread Across Canada and Key Sun Destinations
The immediate impact of WestJet’s latest disruptions is being felt most acutely in Canada’s busiest eastern gateways. Montreal–Trudeau, Toronto Pearson and Ottawa International have all reported significant numbers of delayed departures and arrivals attributed in part to weather, deicing backlogs and knock-on operational constraints that ripple through the airline’s network. Halifax Stanfield, a key Atlantic gateway and connection point for Caribbean and transatlantic travel, has also reported disruption, leaving many maritime travelers with limited options for rebooking.
Southbound, the effect is stark in both Cuba and Mexico, particularly Havana and Cancun. These leisure hotspots are among the most sought-after winter escapes for Canadians, and February is typically high season for vacation traffic. Travelers scheduled to fly from Montreal, Toronto or Halifax to Havana and from Montreal or Toronto to Cancun have reported lengthy delays, aircraft swaps and, in some cases, outright cancellations, forcing last-minute hotel extensions or abrupt changes in itineraries.
While Friday’s tally of 15 cancellations and 77 delays may sound modest compared to some mass disruption events, the concentration of these problems at peak travel times and on popular routes compounds the impact. Full flights mean fewer available seats for re-accommodation, and even a limited number of cancellations can strand hundreds of passengers when aircraft are operating near capacity during the winter holidays and school breaks.
Winter Weather Meets Structural Strain on Canada’s Airline Network
Weather remains one of the principal drivers of travel chaos in Canada this week. A series of intense cold snaps and snow systems has swept across central and eastern provinces, slowing ground operations, extending deicing times and forcing air traffic control to meter departures. Industry tracking over recent days shows that carriers across the board, including WestJet, Air Canada, Jazz and several regional airlines, have contended with dozens of cancellations and hundreds of delays as temperatures plunge and winds increase, particularly in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Halifax.
These conditions reduce runway capacity and stretch already thin resources. Deicing trucks and crews can process only so many aircraft per hour, and when temperatures remain stubbornly low throughout the day, the backlog rarely clears. For travelers, that often translates into aircraft sitting at gates or on taxiways for prolonged periods while crews rotate between flights, and while airline operations teams scramble to rebuild schedules in real time.
However, the current wave of disruption is not just about today’s weather. Canada’s airline network is under ongoing structural strain, with carriers trimming less profitable routes, especially to smaller regional communities and certain U.S. cities, while trying to maintain or grow service on core domestic and leisure routes. In this environment, there is far less slack in the system: when a single rotation between, for example, Toronto and Cancun goes awry, it can cascade into later flights in and out of Montreal, Ottawa or Halifax because replacement aircraft and crews are not easily available.
Cuba Fuel Crisis Forces Wind Down of WestJet Winter Operations
Complicating matters further for WestJet is the rapidly deteriorating fuel situation in Cuba. Over the past week, the airline confirmed that it is initiating an orderly wind down of its winter operations to the island, citing an official Canadian travel advisory that warns of fuel shortages affecting essential services and the ability to support commercial aviation. WestJet’s decision covers flights operated under its own banner as well as packages and services by its vacation affiliates.
In practical terms, this means that flights linking Canadian cities such as Toronto, Montreal and Halifax with Cuban destinations including Havana will be progressively reduced and then suspended, with a target suspension date later in February. Until then, the carrier is prioritizing the repatriation of travelers already in Cuba. WestJet has stated that it will position aircraft from Canada with sufficient fuel for the round trip, minimizing the need to refuel locally and helping ensure that returning passengers are not left stranded due to the shortages on the ground.
For outbound travelers, the implications are significant. Seats on remaining flights are limited, and many itineraries are being cancelled outright. Those with upcoming trips are being offered options to change to alternate destinations or to cancel for a refund, depending on fare type and whether travel was booked directly with the airline or through a third-party provider. In the interim, the uncertainty around which specific flights will operate and which will not has added an extra layer of anxiety for guests booked to or from Havana and other Cuban cities, especially when day-of operations are also being hampered by winter weather in Canada.
Impact on Travelers in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa and Halifax
For passengers in the major Canadian hubs of Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa and Halifax, the combined effect of schedule cuts, Cuba operational wind downs and winter storms has been disruptive and, in many cases, confusing. At Montreal–Trudeau, where WestJet has a smaller presence than Air Canada but still operates key sun routes, travelers have encountered a mix of delayed departures to Cancun and other leisure markets, gate changes and extended waits in security and boarding areas as ground staff juggle updated departure times and aircraft assignments.
Toronto Pearson has seen even broader ripple effects, given its role as one of WestJet’s principal eastern gateways. One delayed flight leaving Toronto for Havana or Cancun can impact later segments, including returns to Ottawa or Halifax and onward domestic connections. Travelers recount last-minute notifications of delays exceeding two hours, with some flights appearing on departure boards as on time until shortly before boarding, only to be pushed back once aircraft arrive late from previous legs or await deicing clearance.
Ottawa and Halifax, though smaller than Montreal and Toronto, are also feeling the strain. These airports rely heavily on a combination of domestic shuttles and seasonal sun routes operated by WestJet and competing carriers. When aircraft and crews are repositioned or grounded elsewhere in the network, flights serving these airports can be late or cancelled with limited substitution options. For travelers hoping to escape winter for warmer climates, the result has been missed vacation days, rebooked hotel stays and extra nights in airport hotels while they wait for an available seat.
Havana and Cancun: Winter Sun Routes Under Pressure
Havana and Cancun are among the most visible examples of how interconnected factors are squeezing winter leisure travel this year. Havana’s situation is dominated by Cuba’s fuel shortages, which have prompted both WestJet and other major Canadian carriers to reevaluate and, in some cases, suspend service. Travelers heading to the Cuban capital from Montreal or Toronto face a moving target: even if Canadian weather cooperates, flights can be altered at short notice as airlines balance safety, operational reliability and local infrastructure constraints.
Cancun, on the other hand, remains fully open and is not directly affected by fuel access in the same way. The challenge here is more about capacity and network resilience. Flights connecting cities like Montreal to Cancun have recently operated, but their schedules remain vulnerable to upstream disruption elsewhere in the network. A late inbound aircraft from another Canadian city, or prolonged deicing in Toronto or Montreal, can push back departure times to Mexico, disturbing both passengers beginning their vacations and those planning tight connections on their return.
Furthermore, as airlines redirect capacity away from certain U.S. and regional routes, they are betting heavily on sun destinations such as Cancun, which concentrates demand but also increases the stakes when something goes wrong. A single WestJet flight between Montreal and Cancun typically carries hundreds of passengers; if that flight is delayed or cancelled, the effort required to re-accommodate everyone on later departures or competing carriers can consume resources that might otherwise help stabilize the schedule elsewhere.
What WestJet Is Offering Affected Passengers
WestJet emphasizes that guests impacted by cancellations and lengthy delays have access to a range of options, which can vary according to the cause of disruption and the jurisdiction governing the flight. Under Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations, travelers experiencing significant delays or cancellations may be entitled to assistance such as meal vouchers, hotel accommodation and rebooking on alternative itineraries, as well as, in some cases, monetary compensation when the cause of the disruption falls within the airline’s control.
The airline encourages guests to monitor their flight status through digital channels and to ensure that contact information is up to date to receive email or text notifications. For trips booked directly through WestJet, eligible customers on affected flights to Cuba are being offered no-fee changes to another destination, with fare differences applied and residual funds refunded where applicable, or the option to cancel for a refund when flights are suspended outright. For WestJet Vacations packages, policy adjustments allow rebooking to alternate destinations or full cancellation with a refund under certain conditions.
Travelers who booked through travel agents, online travel agencies or third-party platforms may face an extra administrative step, because these intermediaries often control the reservation and must request changes or refunds on behalf of clients. In the current environment, with call centers and airport desks busy assisting stranded passengers, those intermediaries can become bottlenecks. Guests are therefore advised to check both the airline’s operational updates and communications from their booking channel before heading to the airport.
How Today’s Disruptions Fit into a Larger Trend
The latest wave of disruptions involving 15 WestJet cancellations and 77 delays is part of a broader pattern reshaping Canadian air travel as 2026 unfolds. In addition to weather and the Cuba fuel crisis, WestJet is in the midst of a strategic rebalancing of its network. Recent schedule changes include suspending service to 10 U.S. cities amid a notable decline in transborder demand, a move that has already led to reduced choice and higher load factors on remaining routes for Canadian travelers heading south.
Other Canadian carriers are making similar adjustments, with some cutting back on U.S. routes or tweaking capacity to Caribbean destinations, reflecting evolving travel preferences, cost pressures and geopolitical factors. In this leaner, more concentrated network, the margin for operational error is thinner. When a day like February 13 brings together subzero temperatures in multiple hubs, chronic congestion at major airports and a politically driven fuel shortage in one of Canada’s key winter markets, the resulting delays and cancellations can feel disproportionate to the raw numbers.
For travelers, this means that disruption is less of an isolated event and more of an ongoing risk to be managed. Even after the current cold snap eases and the most acute Cuba fuel issues are addressed or mitigated, the underlying dynamics of reduced route diversity and high seasonal demand will continue to shape how resilient the system is to shocks for the remainder of the winter and into the summer season.
Practical Advice for Travelers Navigating the Turbulence
Against this backdrop, passengers planning or currently undertaking trips with WestJet between Canada, Cuba, Mexico and the Caribbean should approach the coming days with heightened vigilance and flexibility. Monitoring flight status early and often is crucial, particularly for departures from Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa and Halifax or for flights involving Havana and Cancun. Same-day checks in the morning and again before leaving for the airport can help avoid unnecessary waits at the terminal if a flight is significantly delayed or cancelled in advance.
Travelers with nonessential or flexible plans may wish to proactively consider alternative dates or destinations, especially when Cuba is involved or when itineraries feature tight connections through multiple Canadian hubs. Those already at overseas destinations should stay closely in touch with their airline or tour operator, as repatriation flights and schedule adjustments can be announced with limited notice. Keeping essential items in carry-on luggage, including medications and a change of clothes, also remains a smart precaution in case checked bags are delayed when flights are disrupted.
As WestJet and other carriers continue to navigate volatile winter weather, strategic route cuts and external crises like the Cuban fuel shortage, travelers can expect that occasional days of concentrated disruption will remain a feature of the season. While airlines are working to protect the integrity of their operations and get guests to their destinations as safely and quickly as conditions allow, passengers planning to travel between Canada, Cuba, Mexico and the Caribbean over the coming weeks should prepare for the possibility that their journey may involve longer waits, revised routings or unexpected overnight stays along the way.