In wake of LaGuardia crash, Nav Canada says country is short 200 air traffic controllers

Amid scrutiny over the U.S. lack of air traffic controller staffing, NAV Canada says the country is facing similar staffing shortages. Heather Wright reports.

Canada is dealing with a shortage of air traffic controllers, an issue officials say is being addressed but could take years to resolve.

Nav Canada, the organization that certifies and hires air traffic personnel in Canada, told CTV News on Wednesday the shortfall is level is “approximately 200 air traffic controllers below target.”

Last year, there were periodic closures of control towers in both Kelowna, B.C., and Winnipeg due to shortages.

“We are short, there’s no doubt about it,” said John Gradek, an aviation expert who teaches at McGill University. “These jobs are stressful, these jobs are demanding … and you tend to burn out quick in this type of job.”

Air traffic controllers in the United States are being scrutinized after Sunday’s fatal collision between an Air Canada plane and a fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.

The chair of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board says it’s too early in the investigation to determine exactly what happened. She cautioned against “pointing fingers” at air traffic controllers who work in what she described as “a heavy workload environment.”

• READ MORE: Seconds before LaGuardia Air Canada crash, controller cleared fire truck to cross runway: officials
• READ MORE: Air Canada passenger among first to escape recounts rescue efforts in LaGuardia airport crash

Still, investigators are looking at staffing in the airport’s control tower, as well as the final three minutes of audio from the cockpit recorder.

The International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers estimates the U.S. is short between 3,000 to 4,000 personnel, which they attribute to similar issues as in Canada such as the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are actively addressing staffing through a comprehensive, multi-year strategy focused on recruitment, training and retention,” Nav Canada said in a statement, adding that in 2024-2025, staffing growth exceeded attrition by 26 per cent, and that since 2023, more than 600 air traffic service professionals have received their licenses.

But solving the staffing shortage takes time, as training new workers can take up to 36 months. The success rate is also low: Nav Canada says last year, it received nearly 50,000 applicants and hired just 500 into their training programs.

“I want that to be exclusive, you want that to be exclusive, Canadians want that to be exclusive, because our lives depend on it,” said Gradek, noting the technical skill required to do this job. “You have to be very selective and make sure you are hiring for the long term, and hiring people who can do this day in and day out.”

Steve MacKinnon, the federal minister of transport, has said he is working with Nav Canada to address the shortage, reiterating that in the meantime, air travel in Canada remains safe.

“I do want to be very reassuring that we take every precautionary measure and make sure that Canada continues to perform at the highest level of security,” MacKinnon said Tuesday.

With files from the Canadian Press