Passengers traveling through Toronto Pearson International Airport on February 12, 2026 are facing another bruising day of disruption, as a fresh wave of delays and cancellations ripples across Canada, the United States, Cuba, Colombia and Europe. With more than a dozen flights cancelled and around 190 departures and arrivals delayed, services operated by Air Canada, WestJet, Endeavor, Avianca, Air China and several regional and international partners are bearing the brunt of the latest operational crunch at Canada’s busiest hub.

Fresh Turbulence at Toronto Pearson

The latest bout of disruption at Toronto Pearson comes on the heels of an already difficult stretch for airlines and travelers in early February. An ongoing pattern of winter weather, coupled with congested airspace and stretched ground operations, has repeatedly pushed the airport’s capacity to its limits. In recent days, Pearson has logged well over one hundred delays and multiple rounds of cancellations in a single day, leaving terminals crowded, departure boards flickering with schedule changes and passengers queuing at service desks well into the night.

On February 12, the impact is once again highly visible. Air Canada and WestJet, the two largest players at the airport, have been forced to trim schedules and slow operations, while Endeavor, Avianca, Air China and a roster of North American and overseas carriers navigate rolling knock-on effects. Flights are departing late, arriving out of sequence and in some cases being rerouted or turned back as crews and aircraft fall out of position.

The result is a patchwork travel day in which some services are operating close to schedule while others are hours behind. For passengers with tight connections or long-haul itineraries, the uncertainty is particularly stressful. Many are finding that a single delay in Toronto can unravel onward journeys to the Caribbean, South America or Europe, often requiring overnight stays or complete rebookings.

Airlines Under Strain: Air Canada, WestJet and Beyond

Air Canada, which uses Toronto Pearson as its primary global hub, is absorbing a significant share of the disruption. After a series of weather-related setbacks earlier this month and continuing operational constraints on the number of take offs and landings at the airport, the carrier has been juggling reduced capacity with high demand. Flights on core domestic routes to Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver and Halifax, as well as transborder services to major U.S. gateways, have been particularly vulnerable to delays and short-notice schedule adjustments.

WestJet, whose network interlaces with Air Canada’s at Pearson while also feeding sun destinations and western Canadian cities, is contending with its own wave of interruptions. A broader pattern of winter disruption across the carrier’s Canada United States network has already led to dozens of cancellations and delays this week, and today’s challenges at Toronto are adding further pressure. While many WestJet flights are still departing, uneven punctuality is complicating connections to and from warm weather destinations such as Mexico and the Caribbean, as well as important domestic routes through Calgary and Vancouver.

Regional and partner airlines are also feeling the squeeze. Endeavor, operating primarily as a regional connector for a major U.S. legacy carrier, is dealing with the dual headache of constrained slots in Toronto and turbulence across the eastern United States. Avianca’s long haul and medium haul services linking Canada with Colombia and other points in Latin America are navigating air traffic flow restrictions and tight turnaround times. Air China’s operations, which connect Toronto with key hubs in Asia and onward European links, are vulnerable to any disturbance to Pearson’s tightly choreographed arrival and departure banks.

Ripple Effects Across Canada

The consequences of Toronto Pearson’s latest disruptions are not confined to the Greater Toronto Area. As the primary gateway in the national network, irregular operations here cascade quickly across the rest of Canada. Major airports including Montreal Trudeau, Vancouver, Calgary, Quebec City and Halifax have all reported notable levels of delays and cancellations in recent days as weather and congestion radiate outward from central hubs.

On February 12, a significant number of delayed departures from Toronto are feeding into later arrivals and missed connections at other Canadian airports. Passengers heading from Pearson to regional centers and remote communities are particularly vulnerable, as many rely on a single daily flight to reach their destination. When that service runs hours behind or is cancelled outright, alternatives may be limited, especially in smaller markets served by just one or two carriers.

The situation is especially challenging for travelers who must transit through Toronto to continue further north or east. A delay on an inbound flight from Western Canada can easily jeopardize a same day connection to Atlantic Canada or to communities in northern Quebec and Labrador. As airlines work to rebook affected passengers, hotel capacity near airports is tightening and call centers are facing heavy demand, adding to the sense of frustration among stranded travelers.

Transborder Disruptions: United States Routes Hit Hard

Canada United States routes are once again proving acutely sensitive to any turbulence at Toronto Pearson. Transborder flights operate under strict slot and security regimes, and winter storms or congestion on either side of the border can quickly trigger rolling delays. Today, services linking Toronto with major American hubs, including New York, Chicago, Washington, Philadelphia and other key cities, are encountering longer taxi times, de icing holds, and sequencing delays within busy air traffic corridors.

Carriers operating these routes, among them Air Canada, WestJet and U.S. partners, are attempting to keep aircraft moving while adhering to safety requirements in challenging weather. A single disruption on a morning departure from Toronto can echo throughout the day as the same aircraft and crews rotate through multiple legs. By afternoon, passengers may find themselves facing compounding delays as every small schedule slip accumulates across the network.

For travelers, the practical implications are tangible. Missed connections in U.S. hubs can derail itineraries bound for the Caribbean, Latin America and beyond. Business travelers may see tightly scheduled day trips become overnight stays. Families heading south for winter breaks face the prospect of shortened vacations or additional layovers, with limited compensation options when delays are attributed to weather or air traffic control rather than airline error.

Caribbean and Latin American Getaways Disrupted

Winter in Canada is peak season for escapes to sun destinations, and disruptions at Toronto Pearson on February 12 are colliding directly with that demand. Flights to Cuba, Mexico and other Caribbean islands are experiencing a mix of delays and operational uncertainty. For many passengers, these routes represent the first leg of long awaited holidays, where a lost day on the beach cannot easily be recovered.

Avianca and other Latin American carriers are similarly affected on routes linking Toronto with Colombia and neighboring countries. Operations are being complicated by air traffic bottlenecks along busy north south corridors, as well as by aircraft and crew positioning that depends on regular, on time departures from Canadian hubs. When a northbound flight arrives late into Toronto, the downstream impact on the return service south can be immediate, prompting schedule shuffles and last minute gate changes.

Travelers on these routes are being advised by airlines and airport authorities to arrive early, monitor their flight status frequently and be prepared for possible delays, even if their service has not yet been officially affected. Some carriers are offering flexible change policies, allowing passengers bound for heavily impacted airports to switch to alternative dates or nearby destinations where capacity permits. However, with many flights fully booked at this time of year, securing a replacement seat can prove difficult.

Europe bound travelers are also encountering headwinds as Toronto Pearson works through today’s disruptions. Long haul departures to major European hubs, including London, Paris, Frankfurt and other key cities, are highly dependent on smooth airport operations in both departure and arrival windows. Even modest delays in de icing, fueling or baggage loading can trigger missed take off slots over the North Atlantic, forcing aircraft to wait on the ground until they can be safely integrated into the organized track system.

Air Canada and European partner airlines, along with carriers such as Air China operating services that continue onward to European destinations, are recalibrating departure times and, in some cases, adjusting aircraft routings to accommodate the evolving conditions. For passengers, this can mean later than expected overnight flights, compressed connections on arrival in Europe, or in rare cases, diversions to alternative airports when weather or congestion renders the original plan unworkable.

Despite the challenges, airlines are emphasizing that safety and regulatory compliance take precedence over strict adherence to scheduled times. This may provide limited comfort to passengers trying to make early morning meetings in Europe or connecting to onward flights to smaller regional destinations, but it remains a consistent message from carriers and aviation authorities amid a volatile winter travel season.

Why Winter Keeps Disrupting Pearson

The recurring pattern of disruption at Toronto Pearson this February is rooted in a combination of weather, infrastructure and operational realities. Situated in a region prone to snowstorms, freezing rain and high winds, the airport must frequently activate de icing protocols, runway clearing operations and reduced visibility procedures. Each of these measures, while critical for safety, slows the pace at which aircraft can arrive and depart, limiting overall capacity even on days when conditions appear calm between weather systems.

Once capacity is constrained, minor irregularities can snowball into major disruptions. A runway temporarily closed for snow clearing, a period of low ceiling cloud that requires greater spacing between aircraft, or a ground equipment issue in subzero temperatures can all contribute to mounting delays. As the day progresses, the knock on effect grows more severe, especially when the airport is operating near its maximum throughput and recovery windows between waves of arrivals and departures are narrow.

Compounding these factors, airlines are running relatively tight schedules to meet demand and maximize fleet utilization. This leaves limited slack in the system for disruptions. When an aircraft and crew are late arriving from one destination, there may be no immediate backup available to operate the next departure. Crew duty time limits, which are strictly regulated for safety, can force further cancellations when delays push pilots and cabin crew beyond permitted hours.

What Travelers Can Do Next

For travelers caught up in today’s wave of delays and cancellations at Toronto Pearson, a few practical steps can help mitigate the disruption. First, airlines and airport authorities are urging passengers to check their flight status directly with the carrier before heading to the airport, as schedules can shift rapidly in response to changing conditions. Official mobile apps and text alerts often provide the fastest updates on gate changes, new departure times or rebooking options.

Arriving at the airport earlier than usual is also advisable during periods of widespread disruption. Longer queues at check in, security and customer service counters are common when large numbers of travelers are seeking assistance at once. By giving themselves extra time, passengers may be better positioned to secure alternative routings, same day standby options or necessary travel documentation such as vouchers for meals and accommodation where applicable.

Finally, flexibility can be a valuable asset. While it is not always possible to change travel dates or accept longer itineraries, passengers who can do so may find more options available, particularly on heavily affected routes to the United States, Cuba, Colombia and Europe. Some travelers may choose to reroute through less congested hubs or accept overnight connections in order to reach their final destination, weighing a longer journey against the uncertainty of waiting out same day congestion at Pearson.

As the day progresses, airlines and airport authorities will continue working to clear the backlog of flights and restore more regular operations. For many weary travelers, however, today’s experience at Toronto Pearson is yet another reminder that in the heart of winter, even the best laid travel plans remain vulnerable to forces far beyond their control.