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More than 2,000 flights across the U.S. were cancelled on Saturday, a day after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted a nationwide ground stop that brought air travel to a near standstill.
A report by CTV News reveals that Air Canada has stated that it will take time for operations to return to normal. The airline cancelled approximately 250 flights on Friday, with further cancellations expected on Saturday, according to a spokesperson.
Read: Air Canada is dropping these 4 U.S. routes in 2027
U.S. officials warn that the disruption could continue for several days, although they expect the system to be back to normal ahead of the U.S. Thanksgiving travel rush.
The nearly five-hour ground stop marks only the second nationwide aviation shutdown in the U.S. since the September 11, 2001, attacks.
Why did the FAA ground flights?
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a rare nationwide ground stop Friday afternoon, after outdated air traffic communications equipment became overloaded with data and began to fail. The report continues to detail that on Saturday U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said that the disruption stemmed from a problem during routine maintenance at an FAA facility, where a contractor was replacing outdated copper telecommunications lines with fibre.
The transition caused an issue with a router, flooding other routers in the air traffic control system and disrupting flight radar feeds. Officials are still investigating whether the cause was human error, faulty installation or defective equipment.
What travellers need to know:
- More than 2,000 flights cancelled across the U.S. on Saturday.
- The FAA lifted the nationwide ground stop after nearly five hours.
- Air Canada cancelled approximately 250 flights on Friday, with more cancellations expected Saturday.
- U.S. officials say the disruption could take days to clear.
- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says there is no evidence of a cyberattack.
Canada has offered the FAA its “full assistance.” - NAV CANADA warns that delays could continue.
What should you do if your flight is cancelled?
If your flight was cancelled, you can check your booking for the latest information and use our self-service options to review or manage your travel where available. Check the Air Canada website here for the latest updates.
Are flights being cancelled in Montreal?
CTV News has also report edthat Montréal-Trudeau International Airport has issued 40 flight cancellations on Saturday as air travel gradually returned to normal following a nationwide ground stop by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Friday.
Flights between Montreal and the U.S. began resuming after the FAA lifted its temporary suspension of all departing U.S. flights shortly after 9 p.m. Friday.
The disruption began around 4 p.m., when the FAA ordered a nationwide ground stop, citing extraordinary circumstances and safety concerns linked to air traffic control communications issues. A total of 61 flights were cancelled at Montréal-Trudeau on Friday, including 32 arrivals and 29 departures.
The cancellations continued into Saturday because aircraft that had been unable to land in Montreal the previous day could not operate their scheduled departures, according to an airport spokesperson.
Travellers were also advised to check their flight status with their airline before leaving for the airport.
Air Canada warned that the return to normal operations would take time, with additional flights potentially affected by delays and cancellations. Passengers whose flights have been cancelled can check their reservations online for the latest updates and use the airline's self-service tools to review or manage their travel plans.
For more information about the CTV News reports, click here.
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