NAV CANADA reported an approximately 85% reduction in flight delays attributable to its operations from May 1 through August 31, 2026, at Canada’s four busiest airports: Toronto Pearson, Montréal-Trudeau, Calgary, and Vancouver International Airports, compared with the same period in 2025.
During the summer period, the proportion of scheduled flights affected by traffic management initiatives where NAV CANADA staffing or equipment contributed dropped from 1.54% in 2025 to 0.24% in 2026 across these airports. Vancouver International Airport recorded the largest absolute decline in delay impact, with affected flights falling from 4.42% to 0.64%, while Calgary International Airport saw the largest
proportional improvement, decreasing from 1.16% to 0.05%.
Flight volumes grew modestly during the analyzed period, with 394,919 flights handled across the four airports in 2026, up 0.9% from 391,245 flights in 2025. This indicates the reduction in delays was achieved despite increased traffic.
The improvements stem from NAV CANADA’s summer 2026 operational readiness plan. This plan included increasing the number of qualified air traffic services professionals, implementing incentive programs and targeted scheduling at control facilities, technology investments such as Arrival Manager systems at Area Control Centres, and the temporary return of staff from non-operational roles to frontline duties. Contracts with
over 50 rehired retired controllers also contributed to staffing capacity.
The staffing shortfall of air traffic controllers narrowed from about 200 below target in spring 2026 to approximately 170 by August 31. Since 2023, over 600 air traffic services professionals have qualified, reflecting growth in the training pipeline, which continues to operate at record capacity.
Marie-Pier Berman, NAV CANADA Vice President and Chief of Operations, stated: “In May, we said our team was ready. In July, the results showed they were. Today we can say they upheld that standard through the most demanding stretch of the year.” She added that
teams at Canada’s major airports delivered around 85% fewer NAV CANADA-attributable delays than in the previous year, crediting air traffic controllers, flight service specialists, and support teams. Berman noted that readiness involves managing operational challenges safely and transparently rather than promising no disruptions.
