U.S. storm affects Canadian flights

Scores of flights from Toronto's Pearson airport were cancelled Monday as a massive winter storm blanketed the eastern seaboard.

More than 200 flights, or about 17 per cent of the flights originating from the Toronto airport and bound for cities such as New York, Boston and Philadelphia, were affected by the cancellations. The cancellation rate on a typical day is one to two per cent.

Other flights to Canadian destinations, including Ottawa, Montreal, Moncton and Halifax, were also delayed or cancelled. Flights from those four airports were also cancelled Monday.

Officials from the Greater Toronto Airports Authority were not immediately available for comment Monday, but a voice recording confirmed that "weather is currently affecting flights to and from the northeast United States and the Maritimes, including Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Halifax."

Airport officials were encouraging travellers to call ahead to confirm their flight status before heading to the airport.

The cancellations come as the East Coast was warned of heavy snow and rain, strong winds and another round of storm surges.

The storm system that paralyzed the northeastern United States arrived in Atlantic Canada on Monday, leaving tens of thousands of residents without power, and motorists facing treacherous driving conditions.

Lingering effects

The storm that has shut down airports in New York and New England could leave passengers stranded for days.

By Monday evening, John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty and La Guardia airports had reopened and a small number of flights were departing and arriving.

Delta Air Lines cancelled 700 flights for Monday. The world's second-largest airline company hopes to resume normal operations by early Tuesday.

Once the airports reopen, passengers will have a hard time finding open seats on later flights. Seats are already scarce because of the busy holiday season. And airlines are operating fewer flights than they did before the recession.

Boston's Logan Airport spokesman Phil Orlandella said rebooking could drag into Friday.