Canada adds warning to U.S. travel advisory amid government shutdown
Canada is warning travellers of impacts to their flights amid the U.S. government shutdown.
The government updated the U.S. travel advisory on Tuesday, Nov. 11, adding a note about flight cancellations.
The Canada travel advisory states that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reduced U.S. domestic flights to manage reduced air traffic controller availability.
“You may experience flight delays and cancellations, as well as longer wait times at airports. Contact your airline to understand if your travel plans are affected,” reads the notice.
On Friday, Nov. 7, the FAA cut flights at 40 airports across the U.S., in response to the continued shutdown.
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An FAA source told CNN that “Core 30” high-traffic airports will be among the hardest hit. This includes New York City’s three big hubs, and major airports in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, Phoenix, Seattle and Washington, D.C.
In addition, airports in Anchorage, Alaska; Indianapolis; Portland, Oregon; and Ontario, California, could be affected, according to CNN.
The government shutdown has left 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers and 13,000 air traffic controllers to work without pay.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that there may be an end to the government shutdown soon.
The House of Representatives, which is controlled by the Republican Party, is expected to pass the budget that would end the shutdown in the coming days.
Air Canada shared an update about the flight reductions with passengers on Tuesday.
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“If you’re currently scheduled to travel within the United States on a United Airlines flight and wish to make alternative travel arrangements, Air Canada has implemented a policy that makes it possible for you to make voluntary changes to your itinerary,” it reads.
According to the notice, you can make a change to your itinerary if you bought an Air Canada ticket operated by United Airlines no later than Nov. 5, 2025, for travel between Nov. 6 and 16, 2025.
If your flight is scheduled during the affected period, Air Canada says you can retrieve your booking and change your flight up to two hours before departure to another date within the validity period of your ticket and based on the fare originally purchased. You’ll need to pay the difference if there is one.
Porter Airlines told Daily Hive last Thursday that it has felt the effects of the U.S. government shutdown.
The airline added that travellers who have flexibility could change their flight free of charge for select U.S. destinations. Passengers can visit the Manage My Booking page on the website or call the Contact Centre at 1-888-619-8622 to move their flight.
WestJet, Air Canada, and Flair stated they had not been impacted but are monitoring the situation.