Travelers passing through Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) on Boxing Day faced significant delays, a situation persisting despite the overnight resolution of a critical air traffic control staffing shortage.
Staffing Constraints Addressed, But Backlog Remains
The primary culprit for the initial disruption was a shortage of air traffic controllers. NAV Canada, the federal agency managing the country's air navigation services, issued a public notice on social media around 6 p.m. on Christmas Day. The agency warned of potential delays at Canada's busiest airport due to "resource constraints."
"Our team is moving aircraft safely, and as quickly as possible," NAV Canada stated in its post. The agency advised passengers to check their flight status directly with their airlines and expressed regret for the impacts. These specific staffing constraints were lifted just after midnight, allowing air traffic flow to return to normal levels.
A Systemic Issue Across Canadian Aviation
This incident is not isolated. Canada, mirroring challenges in the United States, is grappling with a nationwide shortage of qualified air traffic controllers. Throughout 2025, this manpower issue has forced airports across the country to implement periodic closures and schedule reductions, leading to widespread delays and cancellations.
The problem has been a recurring theme this year, causing considerable frustration for airlines and passengers alike. Toronto Pearson has been particularly affected, ranking among the world's most delayed airports as recently as Friday, December 24th.
Weather Compounds the Problem
Even with the air traffic control staffing issue resolved, weather-related operations continued to slow departures on Boxing Day. While arrival delays were minimal at less than five minutes, departures were hampered by lengthy lineups at the airport's de-icing facilities. This added a secondary layer of disruption for outbound flights.
The situation at Pearson was part of a broader pattern of Canadian airport delays at the end of the week. On that same Friday, Ottawa's Macdonald-Cartier International Airport experienced even more severe hold-ups, ranking as the world's fifth most delayed airport with average departure delays stretching to 45 minutes.
Passengers traveling through Toronto Pearson in the coming days are strongly encouraged to monitor their flight status via their airline's website or app, as the system continues to recover from the compounded effects of staffing and weather.
