Over 200 flights delayed at Vancouver airport this weekend

Over the weekend, Vancouver’s airport experienced significant delays, with over 200 flights being affected. The airport authority has attributed these delays to ongoing staffing constraints at Canada’s air traffic control agency, Nav Canada. This has been a recurring issue for months, especially at Vancouver International Airport (YVR), where a shortage of air traffic controllers has been causing disruptions.

With Canada Day approaching, more than 425,000 passengers are expected to pass through YVR, making Monday the busiest travel day of the four-day stretch. Nav Canada has acknowledged the challenges and mentioned that they are working to add flight capacity where possible to minimize the impact on passengers.

A spokesperson for Nav Canada mentioned, “We know that any delay, regardless of the duration, can be impactful to Canadians and travelers. We always encourage passengers to check the status of their flight with their airlines.” YVR reported that 186 flights were delayed on Saturday, with an additional 24 flights experiencing delays on Sunday morning.

Stephen Smart, the head of communications at YVR, revealed that at one point on Saturday, the average delay on a flight was two hours. Normally, the airport can accommodate around 36 planes landing per hour, but at one point on Saturday, this number dropped to 16. Monday is expected to be another busy day, with over 88,000 passengers anticipated to transit through YVR.

Nav Canada has acknowledged that air traffic delays can be caused by various factors, including weather, runway construction, infrastructure maintenance, demand surges, and personnel resourcing. In response to questions about foreseeing the long weekend travel demand, Nav Canada mentioned that they are actively working to optimize their scheduling.

The ongoing staffing crunch at Nav Canada has been a persistent issue at Canada’s major airports. In May, an Air Canada pilot expressed frustrations over air traffic controller shortages on a Vancouver-Montreal flight, urging passengers to reach out to their MPs to address the delays. Nav Canada, a private non-profit organization funded by contributions from airlines, oversees air traffic control across the country.

Efforts are being made to train new air traffic controllers to address the staffing challenges. Since September 2023, over 450 air traffic services professionals have received qualifications, including approximately 230 air traffic controllers. There are currently more than 500 individuals in air traffic services training programs nationwide, with the full qualification process typically taking 24 to 36 months of training.