Toronto and Montreal airports declare ground stops after FAA issues nationwide stop across US
Canadian airports prepare for disruption
Airports in Canada warned travellers of broad flight disruptions amid an air traffic control outage in the United States. NAV CANADA, which operates Canada's civil air traffic system, said Friday night its systems were functioning normally.
The organization said it had issued ground stops to manage traffic volumes safely. It advised travellers to expect delays and check with their airline.
Possible diversions add pressure
Mark Stephens, a retired Delta Air Lines pilot, told Business Insider that airports may be preparing for international flights bound for the US that need to divert. He said aircraft held on the ground would return to their gates. Stephens said managing traffic would be essential if airports experience a potential increase in volume.
Flight cancellations and delays mount
As of 6:20 p.m. Eastern time, FlightAware.com reported more than 2,700 cancellations involving flights within, to or out of the US. A further 10,500 flights were delayed. Aviation analytics company Cirium said at least 600 flights had been diverted Friday. Denver, Chicago, Los Angeles and Cleveland were among the airports receiving additional flights.
Key points
- NAV CANADA said its systems were operating normally Friday night.
- The organization issued ground stops to manage traffic volumes safely.
- More than 2,700 US-linked flights were canceled by 6:20 p.m. Eastern.
- Cirium reported at least 600 diversions, with several US airports taking additional flights.