Calgary International Airport (YYC) remains open and operational after an intense rain and hail storm damaged a portion of its domestic terminal earlier this week.
Airport officials said they can support airlines’ full commercial schedule as they recover, despite the closure of B gates in the terminal.
“We recognize this storm and the resulting damage and experience could have been troubling and even scary,” officials said in a statement.
“This event has had a major impact on operations, and also people. Please know we are taking every action possible to ensure their safety and comfort.”
Monday’s storm hammered Calgary homes and businesses with toonie-sized hail, smashing windows, damaging vehicles and causing significant water damage inside the YYC terminal.
Videos on social media showed water cascading from the ceiling of the terminal building as travellers cleared the area and took cover.
Buckets brimming with water lined a terminal floor strewn with debris in an attempt to contain the flood.
“The heavy rain took advantage of some of the holes that were created by the hail falling into the roof system,” YYC chief operating officer Chris Miles told CityNews.
“That created the spill inside the terminals.”
On the tarmac, social media posts showed an area blanketed with hail. It’s unclear if any aircraft were damaged during the storm.
Officials also aren’t sure when the terminal’s B gates will reopen, but most C gates are still operational, they said. D (international and domestic) and E (U.S.) gates were not impacted.
YYC said it is working with airlines to reaccommodate flights to alternate gates.
“The airport’s ready,” said Miles. “We’ve been able to deploy the flights to different parts of the building, and certainly we are very comfortable with delivering the schedule.”
No injuries were reported. It’s unclear how long it will take to complete repairs, and the total cost of the storm damage is unknown, officials said.
“Restoration crews are working around the clock to repair damage to affected areas of the terminal,” they said.
Lots of flights were canceled inorder for people to have to rebook at 4 times the price super shady westjet