Updated November 13, 2026 @ 8:41pm
Airports across the country suspended flights to and from the United States on Friday after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued a countrywide ground stop order, though Nav Canada says there is no direct impact on its systems.
The order, which grounded all flights in the United States on Friday afternoon, cited communications problems at regional air traffic control centres.
Several Canadian airports, including in Montreal and Toronto, reported that all flights to and from the United States were suspended.
The Toronto Pearson International Airport said international and domestic flights continue to operate where routes do not require transit through U.S. airspace. It also said it's increasing staffing across the airport to assist affected passengers.
"Our support teams are being deployed throughout the terminals, with additional resources available in the U.S. departures area," said a social media post from the airport. "We are also working closely with airlines and have implemented a parking plan for aircraft."
Red bars across Air Canada’s U.S. check-in counters signalled trouble for travellers at Toronto Pearson.
Passengers stood with their luggage, repeatedly refreshing their phones and looking for answers from airport staff.
For Kelly Adenike, who was trying to get to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, the question was whether she would make it out of Pearson at all or end up back home in Kitchener, Ont.
"This really sucks," she said. "Do they expect me to go home? Could they call it off soon? Maybe let us know if we can wait until midnight?"
Nav Canada, a privately run, non-profit corporation that operates Canada's civil air navigation system, said there was no direct impact on its operations and it was continuing to support the safe movement of air traffic in Canada's airspace, including any aircraft that may be diverted.
It said its systems were operating normally and recommended that anyone flying to or from the United States check with their airline.
Samantha Chowen said the airplane doors had just closed on her flight from Nashville to Toronto when the captain announced that the plane would not be able to take off due to an unforeseen issue with air traffic control. After about an hour, she said, passengers were asked to deplane.
Chowen, who lives in Regina, said she was told not to expect to fly home to Canada on Friday but to get a hotel and wait for further notice.
"They said they will be emailing us shortly with a rerouted flight but that right now they can't guarantee when that will be," said Chowen. "Kind of just sit and wait I guess."
Chowen, who had been on a weeklong trip, said she tore her ACL on the third day of her vacation.
"I've been hobbling around just trying to get home," said Chowen. "As long as I'm home by Monday to make my MRI, this is fine."
Brenda Zhou and her daughter, Athena Guan, were supposed to fly from Toronto to Miami, where Athena was scheduled to attend a college soccer identification camp.
The Toronto residents had checked in at Pearson and cleared the initial steps before U.S. customs processing was abruptly shut down, Zhou said.
"They just shut down everything and sent everybody out," she said.
Air Canada rebooked them on a flight to Tampa for Saturday night, meaning her daughter would miss a camp session that morning.
Zhou said she had already paid for a hotel, a rental car and the camp registration fee, and did not know whether she would be able to recover those costs. She said they would head back home and were now hoping to make the camp on Sunday.
Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said in a media statement that Canada offered its full assistance to the Federal Aviation Administration as it managed the situation, including accommodation of U.S.-bound aircraft as required.
"We remain ready to provide support to our American colleagues as the situation evolves," said MacKinnon.
Krista Kealey, spokesperson for the Ottawa International Airport Authority, said U.S. arrivals and departures were being affected at the airport.
She said the airport was expecting diversions, although it understood that international flights bound for the United States would be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Yasmine Mehdi, an Air Canada spokesperson, said the ground stop was affecting flights to and from the United States. She said flights to and from the Caribbean and South America could 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."
Air Canada said on social media late Friday that it was cancelling all flights to and from the United States for the rest of the evening.
WestJet said in a media statement that it was closely monitoring the situation and would keep guests informed of any impacts to their travel plans. The airline said it was following "all regulatory direction."
The Vancouver International Airport said airlines were adjusting flight schedules, which was causing cancellations to U.S. destinations, and some delays and cancellations to international and domestic flights.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said a communications issue was affecting the 22 regional air traffic control centres that direct planes travelling between airports countrywide. He said FAA technicians were investigating.
This was the first countrywide ground stop in the United States 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."
A few international flights were taking off Friday evening from international aviation hubs on the East and West coasts.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2026.
-With files from The Associated Press
