Dozens of flights in and out of Edmonton have been grounded and diverted Saturday due to severe fog.
As of 11:30 a.m. MT, all 28 scheduled flights for the day were still waiting to depart, Edmonton International Airport spokesperson Traci Bednard said.
Eight flights bound for Edmonton were diverted and “a handful” of flights were cancelled, she added.
All passengers that had already boarded have deplaned and returned to the terminal.
“While we do see fog from time what’s unusual is how long it stayed in this area,” said Bednard.
“The last time that we can remember fog that lasted this long was approximately 2005, where fog lasted so long that flights didn’t start operating until the afternoon, and we’re approaching that.
“It’s certainly rare that it would last this long.”
Bednard had her own vacation put off by the fog. She was waiting for a delayed flight to Puerto Vallarta in Mexico.
Fog can be difficult to predict, Bednard said, so there was no set timeline for when flights can be expected to resume.
Bednard suggested passengers stay close to their gate in case boarding times change. Passengers can check the status of their flights with the airline or on the EIA website.
“For all of us here at the airport waiting to catch a flight, it’s just trying be patient,” she said.
“But it is difficult because it’s spring break, so certainly a lot of family travelling.”