Canada has 200 unfilled positions for air traffic controllers

In Canada, air traffic controllers are employed by a private non-profit corporation that was created in the 1990s by the federal government, which has seats on its board of directors. Nav Canada pays for its operations with fees charged mostly to airlines. 

Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon acknowledged this week that hiring new air traffic controllers is a challenge.

“It’s a high-skill profession, a very difficult job, but a very rewarding job as well for those who perform it,” he said. “I’ve asked Nav Canada to continue to come up with solutions for recruitment so that we can reduce the undue reliance we have on a smaller number of air traffic controllers than we would wish to have.”

Nav Canada spokesperson Gabriel Bourget said the organization is currently short about 200 controllers.

Last year, however, Bourget said Nav Canada added 26 per cent more controllers than it lost .

“We are actively addressing staffing through a comprehensive, multi-year strategy focused on recruitment, training and retention, and we are making measurable progress,” he said. “In 2025 alone, we attracted 49,000 applicants, evaluated over 7,000 top candidates, and hired close to 500 students into our training programs — all records for the organization.”

Nick von Schoenberg, president of the Canadian Air Traffic Control Association which represents controllers, said Nav Canada has been working “really closely” with the union to address vacancies and is making progress. 

“We have a very constructive relationship and they’re definitely moving in a right direction,” he said. 

In addition to boosting space in training programs, the company is rehiring retired controllers and offering retention incentives to keep the towers staffed. But while Nav Canada expects 1,500 students to enter its training program in the next three years, it notes that those controllers won’t join its workforce immediately. 

“It’s also important to note that becoming a fully qualified air traffic controller typically takes 18 to 30 months, reflecting the rigorous training required in a safety-critical environment,” said Bourget. 

The company currently employs 2,100 air traffic controllers, who manage the planes coming and going from Canada’s airports and can make as much as $200,000 a year. 

Runway incursions — the industry term for when planes or other vehicles come too close together — have been on the rise in Canada with 639 incidents last year, a 15-year high according to the Transportation Safety Board.

While only one of last year’s incidents was considered high risk, the TSB has had the issue of runway incursions on its list of top safety concerns since 2010.