Overview

• More than 200 flights were delayed over the past weekend as landing capacity at YVR dropped from 36 to 16 planes per hour, causing average hold times of around two hours.
• Nav Canada cites an ongoing deficit of qualified air traffic controllers and unplanned absences as the primary bottleneck to maintaining normal traffic flow.
• Since September 2023, Nav Canada has hired over 450 air traffic services professionals and enrolled more than 500 trainees, but full controller qualification still requires 24 to 36 months.
• Several U.S.-bound flights were pushed into early Sunday hours, prompting customs agents to extend screening until 2 a.m. to process delayed passengers.
• Travelers are urged to check flight status with their airlines for rebookings and updates as YVR prepares to handle peak Canada Day passenger volumes.