Sunwing announced on 18APR it is being affected by a network-wide system issue which has impacted the carrier's check-in and boarding. The airline-wide impact of the outage has resulted in delays for all the operator's departing flights for at least a day.
A report by CBC says that Sunwing's web site showed virtually all flights scheduled on 18APR delayed, some by more than 12 hours. More than 40 flights were affected. FlightRadar24 showed no Sunwing planes in the air for hours-long periods throughout Monday.
According to Travel Industry Today, the system issue is due to a system outage at a U.S.-based company that provides Departure Control Systems for Sunwing and other airlines.
While the problem is affecting passengers around the world, Sunwing is believed to be the only Canadian carrier affected. As of the morning of Tuesday, 19APR, Sunwing had not provided any further updates on the issue.
"We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and are working to have the issue resolved as soon as possible. We strongly encourage all customers travelling during this period to check their flight status before heading to the airport," Sunwing said in a travel advisory Monday.
Sunwing said it is trying to notify passengers “where possible,” with some travellers receiving arrangements for hotel accommodations and airport transfers, reports Travel Industry Today.
“We sincerely regret the impact this is having on our customers’ travel plans and are working diligently with our technology provider to resolve the issue as soon as possible so that regular flight operations can resume,” Sunwing said.