Canadian airports have taken on extra planes and passengers as the outage chaos rippled north

Canadian airports are coping with an influx of traffic and passengers following Friday’s nationwide ground stop, as canceled and diverted flights spill over into Canada.

Toronto Pearson International Airport issued status updates via X, noting the ground stop had been lifted, but disruptions for flights to and from the United States persisted. The airport said it had brought in extra staff to manage crowds and assist affected travelers, with support teams deployed throughout the terminals and additional resources in the U.S. departures area. A parking plan for aircraft was also implemented.

Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver airports implemented traffic management measures as the situation continued to unfold, according to NAV CANADA. The organization described its systems as operating normally and noted it had issued programs to safely manage traffic volumes during the outage.

Industry data cited in coverage indicated substantial disruption, with nearly 7,000 flights canceled within, to, or from the United States, and another 7,000 delayed, as reported by FlightAware.com. Cirium noted nearly 1,000 flights were diverted on Friday, with airports such as Denver, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Cleveland handling additional aircraft.

Commentary from industry sources suggested Canadian airports would absorb US-bound international flights that needed to divert, and that aircraft already on the ground would return to gates, making effective traffic management essential to handling the volume. The situation was described as potentially extending into the weekend as crews and planes remained displaced.