Canadian airports suspend flights after U.S. orders ground stop

OTTAWA – Airports across the country have suspended flights to and from the United States after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop order, though Nav Canada says there is no direct impact on its systems.

The order, which grounded all flights nationwide Friday afternoon, cited communications problems at regional air traffic control centres.

Several airports, including the Montreal Trudeau International Airport and the Toronto Pearson International Airport, report that all flights to and from the United States are suspended.

Nav Canada, a privately run, non-profit corporation which operates Canada’s civil air navigation system, said there is no direct impact on its operations and it continues to support the safe movement of air traffic in Canada’s airspace, including any aircraft that may be diverted.

Nav Canada also said it is implementing “traffic management measures” at Canada’s four largest airports.

Nav Canada said there are measures in place to safely manage air traffic flows at the Toronto Pearson, Montreal-Trudeau, Calgary and Vancouver airports.

“Travellers should expect delays and check with their airline,” said a Nav Canada social media post.

Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said in a media statement the Nav Canada measures will help “safely manage traffic volumes.”

“I want to reassure Canadians that our air traffic management systems continue to function normally,” he said.

Krista Kealey, spokesperson for the Ottawa International Airport Authority, said U.S. arrivals and departures are being affected at the airport.

She said the airport is expecting diversions, although it understands that international flights bound for the United States will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Yasmine Mehdi, an Air Canada spokesperson, said the ground stop is affecting flights to and from the United States. She said flights to and from the Caribbean and South America may also be affected.

“Any flights currently airborne have been advised they are permitted to continue,” said Mehdi. “We are monitoring the situation very closely and will provide updates as they become available.”

WestJet said in a media statement that it’s closely monitoring the situation and will keep guests informed of any impacts to their travel plans. The airline said it’s following “all regulatory direction.”

The Vancouver International Airport said it’s seeing delays for U.S.-bound departures and some international flights that would fly over the United States. It said domestic flights within Canada are not affected.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said a communications issue is affecting the 22 regional air traffic control centres that direct planes travelling between airports nationwide. He said FAA technicians are investigating.

This is the first nationwide ground stop in the U.S. since January 2023, when a key FAA computer system malfunctioned. The last such shutdown prior to 2023 happened after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the ground stop was due to a “telecommunication outage.”

“This isn’t a safety to the American people, or another 9/11,” he said. “I think that’s what a lot of people are trying to make the comparison to, and that’s not the case.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2026.

-With files from The Associated Press