World · North America · 1 hr ago
U.S. flight ground stop leaves Canadian travellers facing delays
A five-hour U.S. flight ground stop on Friday disrupted travel in Canada and elsewhere.
Canadian air traffic systems kept operating normally, but flights and crews were left out of position.
More than 100 flights were cancelled in Canada on Saturday, following roughly 250 Air Canada cancellations on Friday that affected about 27,000 passengers.
The disruption stranded travellers, delayed journeys and left some people paying for hotels and food.
Air Canada is adding flights, while several airlines are offering free changes to help passengers reach their destinations.
The FAA expects the U.S. schedule to return to normal by Sunday’s end, but Canadian travellers continued to face cancellations on Saturday.
More than 100 flights were cancelled in Canada on Saturday as airlines dealt with disruption from a U.S. nationwide flight stop on Friday.
The U.S. grounding lasted about five hours and caused knock-on effects in Canada and around the world.
Air Canada said it was adding extra flights to help stranded travellers, while WestJet and Porter offered free flight changes.
Air Canada said roughly 250 cancellations on Friday affected about 27,000 passengers.
The FAA administrator said the U.S. air travel schedule should return to normal by the end of Sunday.
- Who
- Canadian air travellers and airlines, including Air Canada, WestJet and Porter.
- What
- More than 100 flights were cancelled in Canada as airlines worked to recover from disruptions caused by a U.S. flight stop.
- When
- Saturday, November 14, 2026; the U.S. flight stop occurred on Friday.
- Where
- Airports across Canada, including Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver and Calgary.
- Why
- A U.S. nationwide grounding of departing flights caused aircraft and crews to be out of position.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
A U.S. nationwide flight stop grounded all departing flights for about five hours.
Air Canada cancelled roughly 250 flights, affecting about 27,000 passengers.
More than 100 flights were cancelled in Canada as airlines worked to recover from the disruption.
The FAA administrator said the U.S. air travel schedule should be back to normal.
- Air Canada cancellations on Friday
- Roughly 250 flights
- Passengers affected
- About 27,000
- Toronto U.S.-bound cancellations on Friday
- 143 flights
- Toronto cancellations on Saturday
- 63 flights
- U.S. ground stop
- About five hours
5 sources
What Canadians should know about their air passenger rights amid U.S. travel chaos
Latest travel disruption could cost Canadian airlines millions, expert says
What people are saying
This was a significant disruption, and its effects have carried over into today, with additional cancellations as aircraft and crews are out of position across our network.
The U.S. air travel schedule should be back to normal by the end of Sunday.
When you’re on the opposite side of the world it’s just about the last thing you would expect,