TORONTO — The Greater Toronto Airports Authority has issued a statement as extreme winter weather impacts flights in and out of Pearson Airport.

“This holiday season, helping passengers travel safely to and from their destinations is the Greater Toronto Airports Authority’s (GTAA) top priority.

“Today’s travel volumes at Pearson were as expected, and we’ve planned accordingly throughout the weekend; however, airlines remain affected by the weather over Western Canada and the U.S. and are still working to recover their operations.”

In the statement, the GTAA says it understands WestJet’s decision to cancel all operations for Ottawa, Montreal, London, Kitchener and Hamilton for December 23, and both inbound and outbound flights to Toronto Pearson on that day.

“It is critical during the holidays that our partners continue to make every effort to address staffing provisions and crew allocations to deal with ongoing weather disruptions.

“All travellers to Pearson should check their flights status and follow air carrier advice.”