On the afternoon of Friday, November 13, 2026, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a nationwide ground stop affecting all flights in the United States, including those arriving from and departing to Canada. The ground stop, which began shortly before 4 p.m. Eastern Time and was lifted at approximately 8:15 p.m. ET, forced Canadian airports such as Toronto Pearson International Airport and Montreal-Trudeau Airport to suspend flights to and from the United States.
Flight Cancellations at Toronto Pearson and Other Canadian Airports
Toronto Pearson International Airport cancelled over 120 scheduled U.S.-bound and inbound flights in response to the FAA ground stop. Additionally, 20 other international flights were cancelled
at Pearson due to the impact of U.S. airspace closure. Montreal-Trudeau Airport also suspended flights to and from the U.S., compounding delays and cancellations. At Toronto Billy Bishop Airport, Porter Airlines cancelled all remaining U.S.-bound and inbound flights scheduled for the rest of the day.
Airlines Respond with Flight Cancellations and Rebookings
Air Canada announced the cancellation of all flights between Canada and the United States for November 13, 2026, including those transiting U.S. airspace en route to the Caribbean and South America. Passengers aboard affected flights experienced delays, with some instructed to deplane and secure accommodations due to indefinite delays. Rebooking efforts were underway for stranded
travellers. For example, an Air Canada flight from Sint Maarten to Toronto was grounded for approximately one hour and 15 minutes. Porter Airlines cancelled all remaining U.S.-related flights at Toronto Billy Bishop Airport, affecting flights to destinations such as Miami, Tampa, Raleigh, and Nashville.
Cause of Ground Stop and Official Statements
The FAA attributed the nationwide ground stop to communications failures affecting 22 regional air traffic control centers across the United States. U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin characterized the problem as a telecommunication outage unrelated to a cyberattack or security threat. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed FAA teams were investigating the issue. Transport Minister
Steven MacKinnon stated Canada provided full assistance to the FAA during the incident and was ready to support as the situation evolved.
Passenger Impact and Airport Operations
Hundreds of passengers faced cancellations and delays at Toronto Pearson and Montreal-Trudeau airports. Delays were exacerbated by the suspension of U.S. customs processing, leaving travellers uncertain about flight status and reroutes. Some passengers were rebooked onto alternate flights departing the following day or rerouted to different U.S. destinations. One passenger, Brenda Zhou, had her Miami flight cancelled and was rebooked on a flight to Tampa, resulting in missed events such as a college soccer camp. Toronto Pearson deployed
additional support teams and increased staffing in U.S. departure areas while implementing an aircraft parking plan to manage terminal congestion and flight disruptions.
Nav Canada Operations and Historical Context
Nav Canada, which manages Canada’s civil air navigation system, reported no direct impact on its systems from the FAA ground stop and maintained safe management of Canadian airspace. Traffic management measures were activated at Toronto Pearson and three other major Canadian airports to handle traffic volume. This event marked the first nationwide FAA ground stop since January 2023, which was caused by a FAA computer system malfunction, and the first since the United States’ post-9/11 shutdown in
2001.
