Several passengers stuck at Pearson due to system issue impacting Sunwing Airlines

A growing number of flights at Pearson Airport have been grounded due to a system-wide computer issue impacting Sunwing Airlines.

In a statement provided to CityNews, the airline says the “network-wide” problem is affecting check-in and boarding features, resulting in several passengers being stranded at the airport.

“We sincerely regret the impact this is having on our customers’ travel plans and are working diligently with our technology provider to resolve the issue as soon as possible so that regular flight operations can resume,” reads the statement from the airline.

Sunwing’s website showed virtually all flights scheduled for Monday — more than 40 — had been delayed, some by more than 12 hours. Flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 showed no Sunwing planes in the air for hours-long stretches throughout the day.

Customers took to social media to register their frustration.

Patrick Levesque was slated to fly back early yesterday evening to Ottawa from Varadero, Cuba, where the Sunwing plane had landed on a stopover from Montego Bay, Jamaica.

“Now it’s 24 hours later,” the 58-year-old construction worker said in a video chat from the airport at 4 p.m.

Navin Monteiro was attempting to fly to Cuba with his wife on Sunday and ended up spending an evening in a hotel near the airport after their flight was pushed back numerous times.

Monteiro says they were notified that their afternoon flight had been delayed 20 minutes prior to boarding. It was subsequently delayed again in the evening and rescheduled for early Monday morning.

“We had to fight to get hotel accommodations,” says Monteiro. “They were only giving us either taxi chits or food vouchers, no hotel accommodations.”

When they returned in the morning he says the airport was in a state of chaos due to the growing number of delayed flights.

“Almost every flight that was supposed to go out today, all the people were there, they weren’t checking any bags,” says Monteiro.

Sunwing departures at Pearson Airport as of Monday afternoon

Source: Toronto Pearson

Two other travellers tell CityNews they returned to the airport early on Monday hoping to catch their rescheduled flights and were only given another voucher for the hotel.

In a statement, the airline says “alternate arrangements for hotel accommodations and airport transfers are being coordinated alongside our destination management company where necessary.”

“Best attempts are being made to notify passengers of the impact to their flights where possible.”

Sunwing is encouraging all customers with departing flights to check their flight status before heading to the airport while the issues persist.

The airline says passengers could be entitled to compensation under the Air Passenger Protection Regulations and more information on refunds can be found at Sunwing.ca.

No timeline has been provided for a return to normal service.

Passengers with trips scheduled over the next day should check their flight status, it added.

With files from The Canadian Press