A nationwide ground stop for all flights in the U.S. is also impacting Canadians travelling in and out of the States.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as quoted by CNN, all flights in the U.S. are grounded until further notice, and the FAA says it was caused by a temporary telecommunications outage.
CNN notes that Homeland Security stated that the outage did not stem from a threat to America, and reports suggest it wasn’t related to a cyberattack. CNN added that U.S. President Donald Trump has been briefed.
“An FAA spokesperson said there is a communications problem impacting Air Route Traffic Control Centers, which handle flights going across the country,” CNN reported.
This is an extremely rare technical issue, as the last time this happened was in January 2023, and prior to that, Sept. 11, 2001.
Some Canadian airports have issued statements in response to the outage.
Vancouver International Airport (YVR) said it’s aware of the nationwide technology issue.
“As a result, YVR is seeing delays for U.S. bound departures as well as some international flights that would fly over the U.S. Domestic flights within Canada are not impacted,” YVR said.
YVR recommends travellers check their flight status with their airline and will share more updates as it receives them.
A quick look at the departing flights list on YVR’s website shows a wide range of delayed flights.
Calgary Airport (YYC) also issued a statement, telling folks to check with their airline for the latest information.
“All U.S.-bound departures from YYC are currently being held due to the FAA’s nationwide ground stop,” YYC said.
Edmonton International Airport (YYG) issued a statement on X and Facebook, too.
The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an order to ground all flights across the United States. If you are planning to fly to the US or are picking up a traveller arriving from the US, please check the status of the flight with the carrier before coming to the airport.
YEG continues to monitor the situation closely and is working with our airline partners as they adjust their operations.
— Edmonton International Airport (@FlyYEG) November 13, 2026
Toronto Pearson is advising customers similarly, saying there are currently no scheduled U.S.-bound departures or arrivals at this time.
We’ve reached out to the Canadian Transportation Agency, and we’ll update this story when we hear more.
- You might also like:
- Vancouver International Airport's own 'Come From Away': How YVR welcomed 8,500 travellers stranded by 9/11
- Federal budget's $1.3 billion for Eastern Canada ferries sparks calls for more BC Ferries funding
- Canada's 2026 federal budget sets out $50 billion for Indigenous communities over 10 years