NAV Canada says ‘resource constraints’ caused flight delays Saturday at Pearson

TORONTO — Canada’s air navigation service provider says flights were delayed Saturday at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport due to what it called “resource constraints.”

A tweet from NAV Canada said that some flights at the airport were delayed, and that its team was “moving aircraft safely, and as quickly as possible.”

The company gave an update Saturday night, saying the traffic had returned to normal levels, but still advised passengers to check the status of their flights with their airline.

Air Canada said on X that the NAV Canada issues were causing delays and cancellations across the airline’s network.

In an emailed statement, NAV Canada explained that it implemented a Traffic Management Initiative, which it said was required to manage demand safely in light of staffing availability and increased traffic this weekend.

The website for Pearson showed most arrivals at the airport were expected to be delayed until close to midnight on Saturday, and while most departures also appeared delayed earlier in the evening, planes seemed to be taking off on time after 8 p.m. local time.

“We know delays are frustrating and we regret the impact on travellers, airlines and airports,” NAV Canada said in its statement.

“We expect traffic levels to gradually return to normal tonight, though we recognize that some travellers will continue to experience delays as we work through the backlog.”

The email said NAV Canada is building capacity by recruiting and training workers across Canada.

NAV Canada also reported delays affecting some flights in Toronto due to weather and volume on Friday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 1, 2025.

The Canadian Press