OTTAWA — An aviation management expert says Canada is less likely than the United States to ground flights nationwide as that country did on Friday afternoon, calling the Canadian system a model its southern neighbours should look to. John Gradek says the Canadian system is more robust and modernized than the one the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration operates with. The FAA had issued a so-called ground stop order on Friday, citing communications issues affecting the nearly two dozen air traffic control centres that direct planes en route between airports across the country. Airports across Canada suspended flights to and from the United States, and Air Canada said late Friday that it was cancelling the rest of those flights for the rest of the day. The U.S. order was lifted late Friday and flights resumed, but airlines warned it could take days before things are back to normal. Gradek says the American FAA is underfunded and operating with outdated equipment, with NAV Canada saying redundancies are built into the system to ensure operations can continue safely. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 15, 2026. Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press
