Canadians travelling during the Thanksgiving long weekend may encounter delays and flight cancellations as a direct or indirect result of the government shutdown in the United States.
This comes after aircraft flying into and out of an airport in Burbank, Calif., were left without an air traffic controller for several hours on Monday, which meant pilots in the immediate vicinity had to co-ordinate among themselves, and as experts warn of spillover delays.
Aviation and airline industry experts believe the longer the government shutdown goes on, the worse the situation could get for Canadian travellers — and not just for those with U.S. destinations.
“Canadians flying to and from the U.S. over the next three or four days will experience the impact of this air traffic control issue. They’ll be delayed just like the American carriers are,” says John Gradek, faculty lecturer in supply networks and aviation at McGill School of English Studies.
“So if Air Canada has got 10 flights a day going into Newark or five flights a day going to Chicago, those flights will be delayed as well — there’s no preference given to keeping Canadian flights on time.”
An ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers has already been straining the aviation sector thin.
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The union representing U.S. air traffic controllers warned the government shutdown could mean added stress to controllers that already have a difficult job, and during past shutdowns, some took on side jobs to pay the bills.
“Flights are going to be delayed. Burbank was the initial one. As of (Tuesday), it kind of snowballed, and it really affected a greater number of airports, including both on the East Coast and the West Coast of the U.S.,” Gradek says.
“Air traffic controllers are saying, ‘I’m not going to get a paycheque? I have rent to pay. I have mortgages to pay, food to get for my family.’ So they’re taking the decision to show up at work in their own hands, and taking the day off to do something else.”
The U.S. secretary of transportation estimates there is currently a shortage of roughly 3,000 air traffic controllers in America, and it will take some time before there is a sense of balance in terms of meeting demand.
“It takes 24 to 30 months to train a controller. Maybe if they started today, those controllers won’t be around until 2028. There’s a lot of testing, there’s a lot validation, and for every class of 100 controllers you get in, probably only 50 will make it,” Gradek says.
“It is a skill and not everybody can do it. You get well paid if you can pass the training and get on the job. But it’s one of those jobs I’d rather not have any risks involved in looking at the quality and the capability of air traffic control.”
In a statement to Global News, NAV Canada said it “does not anticipate any disruption to Canadian air navigation services over the long weekend associated with potential facility closures in the US.”
“However, we are actively monitoring any potential impacts on cross-border operations. As it relates to the fluid situation in the U.S., it is important that passengers check with their airline as to the status of their specific destination and flight,” the organization representing Canadian air traffic control work said.
“NAV CANADA will continue to work with neighbouring air navigation service providers to support safe and efficient management of traffic within Canadian airspace.”
Even if not connecting through the U.S., some Canadian travellers flying over the U.S. to reach destinations like Mexico may also be impacted.
“It’s going to be an interesting cascading effect on Canada,” Gradek says. “If you’re going from Calgary to Cancun or from Toronto to Acapulco, you’re flying over U.S. airspace.”
The delays and potential headaches for some travellers means that many could have their plans impacted during one of the busiest long weekends for Canadians.
It remains unclear when the U.S. government shutdown will end.
A shutdown occurred most recently during President Donald Trump’s first term, and lasted 35 days from December 2018 to January 2019. At the time, air traffic controllers felt similar job pressures, which also led to flight delays and cancellations.
“We’re going through déjà vu. This is a situation where it’s repeating itself six years later, seven years later. And we know how this is going to end,” Gradek says.
“The longest shutdown we’ve had so far in the U.S. government has been 35 days from 2018 to 2019, and it ended with everybody screaming ‘blue murder’ about aircraft delays.”
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
