TORONTO: Air travel across Canada was disrupted on Thursday morning after bomb threats were made targeting multiple airport control facilities. The threats affected operations at six of the major airports, causing delays and confusion for thousands of passengers ahead of the long weekend.

According to NAV CANADA, the national air navigation service provider, the threats were received in the early hours of the morning and were directed at control centres in Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Vancouver.

As a precaution, air traffic control towers at these airports were evacuated, and a ground stop was put in place, temporarily halting all departing flights.

Ottawa International Airport was one of the first to confirm the disruption. In a statement, airport authorities said they were “investigating a security incident” and warned travellers that operations could be affected.

Similar messages were posted on the websites and social media channels of the other affected airports. Passengers arriving at terminals were met with long lines, limited information, and significant delays as staff worked to manage the situation.

The US Federal Aviation Administration also responded to the threat, briefly issuing a ground stop for flights departing from Ottawa and Montreal.

The order was lifted later in the morning after local authorities carried out safety inspections and determined there was no immediate danger.

Airport officials in Toronto said operations at Pearson remained normal, but acknowledged that some delays were expected as aircraft and crews were repositioned.

Airlines responded by issuing travel advisories and encouraging passengers to verify their flight status before leaving for the airport. Air Canada posted alerts urging flexibility and patience, and said they were offering fee waivers for flight changes caused by the incident.

By mid-morning, NAV CANADA confirmed that air traffic operations had resumed at all affected airports, and that no suspicious devices had been found. The agency said it was working closely with law enforcement and airport security teams to determine the origin of the threats.

Officials did not comment on whether they believed the threats to be coordinated or credible but stressed that all responses had been precautionary and followed national security protocols.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2025