What was supposed to be a relaxing winter getaway has turned into a stressful ordeal for Ottawa resident Liliane Hajjar and her travel companions, who have been stranded in Varadero, Cuba, after their Sunwing flight home was delayed more than eight times.
Hajjar’s flight, originally scheduled to depart on Thursday, February 13, was initially canceled due to a snowstorm in Ottawa. However, subsequent delays—caused by a mechanical issue with another Sunwing flight and crew scheduling constraints—have left her group stuck in Cuba for days. “We absolutely understood the weather situation in Ottawa, but now we’re on our eighth delay,” Hajjar said in an emotional interview with CTV News Ottawa.
Passengers have struggled to get clear updates, with Hajjar noting that the Sunwing app stopped providing notifications and phone lines were unresponsive. Updates were only available through a Sunwing representative at the resort for a few hours each day. “I just want them to tell us what is going on,” Hajjar said through tears.
The situation has been particularly challenging for one member of Hajjar’s group, who has serious health concerns and risks running out of medication. The group has also had to pay for additional hotel nights out of pocket. “Everybody thinks you’re in Cuba, you’re in paradise, but it’s not like that,” Hajjar said. “It’s very stressful.”
In a statement, Sunwing attributed the delays to a combination of weather disruptions and a mechanical issue with an earlier flight. The airline said it prioritized passenger safety and arranged overnight accommodations for affected travelers. The flight is now scheduled to depart at 10:30 p.m. local time on Saturday, arriving in Ottawa at 4:24 a.m. ET on Sunday.
However, Gabor Lukacs, president of Air Passenger Rights, emphasized that passengers delayed more than 48 hours are entitled to be rebooked on another airline under Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations. He advised affected travelers to document all interactions with the airline and, if necessary, book their own flights home and seek reimbursement.
As another snowstorm looms over Ottawa, Hajjar remains skeptical about whether her rescheduled flight will actually depart. “I had a breakdown this morning. I cried like a big baby,” she said. “I have kids at home. I want to go home.”
For now, Hajjar and her group continue to wait, hoping for a resolution to their travel nightmare.
Courtesy CTV News Ottawa