Canada’s chronic shortage of certified air-traffic controllers reached a flash point on October 24 when a memo to Air Canada pilots revealed that the control towers at Kelowna (YLW) and Winnipeg (YWG) are now closing altogether when the sole controller on duty takes legally-required breaks.
The memo, first reported by Reuters, warns pilots to avoid the two airports whenever NAV CANADA posts a “tower closed” NOTAM. During these periods the airports revert to uncontrolled status; pilots must self-coordinate on a common frequency and conduct visual approaches, adding workload and risk—particularly for business-aviation operators that rely on rapid turn-arounds. NAV CANADA says the closures are scheduled for “low-traffic windows,” but unions representing controllers (CATCA) and pilots (ALPA Canada) insist the situation is broader and symptomatic of a system that has no resilience left.
From a corporate-mobility perspective, sporadic tower shutdowns can cascade into missed connections and re-routing costs. Air Canada has instructed dispatchers to tanker extra fuel in case holdings or diversions become necessary; that adds weight and erodes narrow profit margins on regional sectors. Global mobility teams moving assignees or critical parts through Western Canada should therefore build slack into itineraries and consider alternative hubs such as Calgary or Edmonton until staffing stabilises.
The underlying issue is demographic: roughly 25 % of Canada’s 1,900 licensed controllers are eligible to retire within three years, while the training pipeline—an eight-year process—remains clogged. NAV CANADA received emergency federal funding in 2024 to hire 350 trainees, but most are still in classroom or simulator phases. Industry groups are urging Ottawa to accelerate foreign-credential recognition for FAA-licensed controllers, a measure that would also align with wider immigration objectives to plug critical-skills gaps.
Until such reforms materialise, employers with time-sensitive travel into Manitoba and British Columbia should activate travel-risk protocols, brief travelling staff on uncontrolled-airport procedures, and monitor NOTAMs via NAV CANADA’s Collaborative Flight Planning Services (CFPS) portal in real time.
The memo, first reported by Reuters, warns pilots to avoid the two airports whenever NAV CANADA posts a “tower closed” NOTAM. During these periods the airports revert to uncontrolled status; pilots must self-coordinate on a common frequency and conduct visual approaches, adding workload and risk—particularly for business-aviation operators that rely on rapid turn-arounds. NAV CANADA says the closures are scheduled for “low-traffic windows,” but unions representing controllers (CATCA) and pilots (ALPA Canada) insist the situation is broader and symptomatic of a system that has no resilience left.
From a corporate-mobility perspective, sporadic tower shutdowns can cascade into missed connections and re-routing costs. Air Canada has instructed dispatchers to tanker extra fuel in case holdings or diversions become necessary; that adds weight and erodes narrow profit margins on regional sectors. Global mobility teams moving assignees or critical parts through Western Canada should therefore build slack into itineraries and consider alternative hubs such as Calgary or Edmonton until staffing stabilises.
The underlying issue is demographic: roughly 25 % of Canada’s 1,900 licensed controllers are eligible to retire within three years, while the training pipeline—an eight-year process—remains clogged. NAV CANADA received emergency federal funding in 2024 to hire 350 trainees, but most are still in classroom or simulator phases. Industry groups are urging Ottawa to accelerate foreign-credential recognition for FAA-licensed controllers, a measure that would also align with wider immigration objectives to plug critical-skills gaps.
Until such reforms materialise, employers with time-sensitive travel into Manitoba and British Columbia should activate travel-risk protocols, brief travelling staff on uncontrolled-airport procedures, and monitor NOTAMs via NAV CANADA’s Collaborative Flight Planning Services (CFPS) portal in real time.
