Nav Canada seeks to reassure travellers it’s ready for busy summer season

Instructor Karina Vasylenko, front, shows media how the air traffic control simulator works at the CAE training facility in Montreal, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

Nav Canada says it has a plan in place to handle peak summer travel demand, with flight volumes poised to exceed 2025 levels despite higher airfares caused by the Iran war.

The non-profit body, which runs the country’s civil air navigation, says it has about 2,100 air traffic controllers on hand, more than at any point since the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the World Cup and other international events around the corner, Nav Canada has also rehired more than 50 retired controllers and launched a four-year, $368 million training and recruitment program amid an ongoing labour shortage.

The organization inked a partnership with flight simulator maker CAE Inc. in 2024 to churn out hundreds more controllers through 2028.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has said the number of safety incidents on Canadian runways reached new highs in recent years even as the tally of extremely close calls levelled off.

Safety board chairman Yoan Marier told The Canadian Press last month the rising tally stemmed from a shortage of air traffic controllers, growing plane traffic and increasingly complex ground operations at large airports.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 19, 2026.

Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press