A technical problem affecting Porter Airlines has left hundreds of frustrated passengers in limbo.
The airline said Wednesday evening that its systems are currently being stymied by a technical outage that is causing delays for some passengers.
The problem appears to have started after 3 p.m. when multiple people complained to the airline over social media about difficulty checking in or changing bookings.
In a statement, the airline blamed the difficulties on a U.S. telecom outage.
“There is a telecom outage in the U.S. affecting multiple customers, including all areas of our website, passenger processing and reservation systems,” Porter spokesperson Brad Cicero said in an email to CP24. “While some flights are operating, delays and cancellations are expected.”
Porter’s website listed around 20 cancelled flights.
Images from inside the Billy Bishop Airport showed long lines at check-in counters and people sitting on the floor on their luggage in the departure lounge.
A number of passengers told CP24 that they were frustrated by the delays and by the lack of information.
“We haven’t really gotten any updates, so we’ve been sitting around the airport waiting for an update,” said one man who was trying to fly home to Boston.
Another woman said she was worried that she wouldn’t make it to Thunder Bay for her friend’s wedding, where she is meant to be a bridesmaid.
Others decided to quit waiting at the airport after their flights were cancelled.
“My colleague and I are going to try and find a hotel, we’re going to try to find a place to stay and rebook for tonight or tomorrow morning,” one man who was trying to get to Chicago told CP24. “I think flights tonight are a little bit expensive, so that’s an inconvenience but we’re trying to figure stuff out. You have to make the best of it.”
Porter said Wednesday evening that the problem had been “isolated,” but it was not clear when it would be fixed.
“We are in direct contact with the telecom providers as they work toward a resolution,” the airline said. “Passengers will be transported as quickly are possible in the circumstances and we apologize for the delays.”
Later Wednesday, some passengers flying to Canadian destinations were on their way after being checked in manually. However flights to U.S. destinations were still unable to depart.
Porter apologized for the delays and advised passengers to keep checking the “travel alerts” section of their website for updates.
The airline said compensation will be provided to passengers “based on their particular situation, including refunds for anyone who cancels their reservation based on the circumstances.”
