Toronto Pearson U.S.-bound flights resume as Air Canada says 27,000 customers affected by outage

U.S.-bound departures from Toronto Pearson International Airport resumed after a nationwide ground stop by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration was lifted, according to updates cited by the Toronto Star. The recovery followed a period in which carriers worked to restore operations and rebook travelers as the outage disrupted departures from the airport and across the U.S. airspace. Air Canada indicated that thousands of customers were affected, marking a significant disruption to its operations as the outage unfolded.

Additional reporting from the Toronto Star notes that Pearson and Air Canada were set to gradually resume U.S. flights once the FAA’s hours-long ground stop—implemented due to a communications problem affecting air traffic control centers—began to ease. Officials and aviation authorities coordinated to manage disruptions and rebook travelers, with the stoppage described as part of the broader FAA action and the subsequent phased restart of flights after the issue was addressed.

CP24 covered the broader context of the FAA-wide grounding, stating that Pearson’s U.S.-bound departures were paused as part of the nationwide action and that international arrivals would be processed on a case-by-case basis as the investigation into the communications issue continued. The Canadian outlet emphasized that updates would come as airlines and air traffic control coordinated to resume normal operations, and noted that a number of passengers at Pearson were awaiting guidance on flights destined for the United States.

CBC framed the disruption as a nationwide FAA ground stop on departures across the United States, describing the action as immediate and extraordinary. The network reported that airlines and airports paused new outbound flights while authorities assessed the underlying communications problem affecting air traffic control centers, with international arrivals to be processed case by case during the FAA investigation and the broader safety review of the National Airspace System. Pearson’s pause was linked to this U.S. action in CBC’s coverage.

CTV News provided on-scene visuals and reporting indicating planes clustered at Toronto Pearson as the FAA grounding took effect, highlighting that the disruption originated from the FAA order halting departures across U.S. airspace and prompting airlines to delay or redirect flights. Their coverage tied Pearson’s disruption to the nationwide action and noted that connections at Pearson could be affected as aircraft were delayed or rerouted.

In corroborating detail, CP24’s follow-up reporting cited aviation analyst commentary about the impact on U.S.–Toronto air travel, with Phyl Durdey noting that the FAA grounding affected flights linking Toronto with the United States. The CP24 piece described a significant number of flights to and from Pearson canceled or delayed, and stressed that officials and airport staff would continue monitoring the situation as airlines and air traffic control coordinated for a return to normal operations, without providing specific flight numbers or carrier-level details.