Vancouver's biggest airport clocked some notable delays on Monday, April 14.
Travellers chimed in on social media about the delays, with online flight tracking website showing average waits of over 30 minutes.
Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»International Airport (YVR) Spokesperson Chloe Reynaud told V.I.A. that air travel in the region experienced delays on Monday due to resource constraints at NAV Canada (Canada’s air navigation service provider).
Reynaud said flights were operating on schedule on Tuesday, but some individual flight delays within the range of day-to-day variability were possible.
"We recommend checking directly with the airlines for the most up-to-date flight status information," she noted.
"As always, we encourage passengers check their flight status with their airline before coming to the airport."
NAV Canada says delays are still possible at YVR
However, in a post on X/Twitter shared Tuesday, NAV Canada Operations stated that delays were still affecting "some flights in YVR due to NAV Canada resource constraints." It noted that its team is continuing to move aircraft as safely and quickly as possible.
According to YVR's , seven flights departing in the afternoon through the evening on Tuesday were delayed. However, the page did not state the reason for the delays.
The airport's , on the other hand, showed significant delays, with 59 flights arriving late at the airport.
NAV Canada spokesperson Maryam Amini told V.I.A. that numerous factors can cause air traffic delays, including "infrastructure maintenance, runway construction, surges in demand, personnel resourcing, and adverse weather conditions (the most frequent source of delays in Canada)."
"It is important to note that multiple stakeholders contribute to the overall operational environment—this includes airlines, airport operations, security, baggage services, and NAV CANADA, among others. At NAV CANADA, safety remains our highest priority in all aspects of service delivery," she told V.I.A.
"One of the tools used to safely manage airport demand is the implementation of a Traffic Management Initiative. While we strive to minimize their use, TMIs help maintain a safe flow of traffic and ensure the quantity of aircraft in a given airspace or airport remains manageable."
Amini confirmed that a temporary TMI was implemented at YVR on Tuesday due to "resource constraints related to unplanned absences." She added that the NAV Canada team was working to minimize impacts from the TMI.
"Ensuring that we have the staffing required to provide safe, efficient air navigation services remains a top priority for NAV CANADA, and we continue to take the steps needed to support service continuity across the country. Our substantial investments in people and training programs are driving improvements in the Canadian ecosystem," she said.
NAV Canada is conducting "extensive recruitment campaigns"
Amini noted that NAV Canada is conducting "extensive recruitment campaigns," as well as "enhanced workforce scheduling, hiring experienced air traffic controllers, and leveraging temporary assignments - in addition to very competitive remuneration."
The department has also partnered with CAE to provide supplemental foundational training for Flight Service Specialists and Air Traffic Controllers. This collaboration is expected to enable NAV CANADA to accelerate its staffing objectives by five years, significantly expanding our training capacity nationwide to meet growing demand. Through this agreement, 478 additional students will receive foundational training by 2028, alongside the nearly 500 students currently undergoing training at NAV CANADA facilities.
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