While Canadians are starting to leave for the holidays this summer, an airline warns passengers that they could undergo delays due to the shortages of air controllers.
In a statement on Friday, West said more than 300,000 of its customers have been delated since April and have blamed Nav Canada for headache, saying that the problem is due to staff shortages among air controllers.
“These challenges of the air traffic control endowment often become the main reason for delays throughout the Westjet network,” the statement said. “The current situation presents serious operational challenges, while industry is heading for advanced summer trips, without short -term solutions in sight.”
In May, 4.7 million passengers went through security in the eight largest airports in Canada, which represents an increase of 1.9% compared to the same period last year and an increase of 5.5% compared to pre-pale levels in May 2019, according to Statistics Canada.
James Armstrong International Airport Richardson of Winnipeg had the highest increase, with 7.5% more passengers in May 2025 compared to the previous year.
Westjet said he wanted the federal government to work with all stakeholders to find an immediate solution to the endowment problem.
Get national news
For news that has an impact on Canada and worldwide, register for the safeguarding of news alerts that are delivered to you directly when they occur.
In a Declaration to Global News, Nav Canada said that it could not independently confirm the number of Westjet passengers who have undergone delays, but that the recognized staff contributes to delays “in certain circumstances”. However, he said that problems are rarely caused by a unique “factor or organization” and that he is working on improvements.
“We invest massively in our workforce because security and reliability are first,” said the press release.
“This includes recruiting, training and granting licenses for new air traffic controllers at an accelerated pace. There are more than 500 people in our air traffic service programs across the country for the moment, however, the full qualification path is extended, generally requiring 24 to 36 months of class education, simulation and training during employment. ”
In the meantime, Westjet warns travelers that regulations on the protection of air passengers deal with delays related to a lack of air traffic controllers as officially beyond the airline control. This means that there will be no compensation if delays occur due to Nav Canada endowment problems.
& Copy 2025 Global News, A Division of Corus Entertainment Inc.