Operations are back to normal after multiple Canadian airports faced bomb threats on Thursday morning that grounded flights and were expected to cause widespread delays, according to air traffic control manager Nav Canada.
In a statement posted to X at 11 a.m. ET, Nav Canada commended its employees and law enforcement for their swift response and said airport delays might still occur.
“In the interest of security protocols, we cannot disclose the specific nature of the threat. However, we will continue to work closely with authorities as the investigation progresses,” Nav Canada wrote.
Hours earlier, Nav Canada had posted that it was “made aware of bomb threats affecting facilities in Ottawa, Montreal, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver.”
“Employees at impacted locations are safe, and a temporary ground stop has been implemented at the affected airports,” it wrote around 8:30 a.m. ET.
NAV Canada, the country’s civil air navigation service, says service is gradually resuming at multiple airports across the country after bomb threats prompted a temporary ground stop at the affected locations. Travellers could see delays as service resumes, the service said.
Airports, police investigating
RCMP at the Winnipeg Richardson International Airport received a bomb threat at around 6:05 a.m. CT, RCMP told CBC News in a written statement.
“The phone call stated there was a bomb in the control tower,” an RCMP spokesperson said. “Officers conducted a physical search of the tower and no suspicious items were located.”
In Vancouver, RCMP told CBC News the threat there had been a “false report.”
Richmond RCMP received a report of a threat at the Vancouver International Airport’s Nav Canada air traffic control tower at approximately 2 a.m. PT, spokesperson Cpl. Melissa Lui said in a written statement.
The tower was evacuated and no threats were located, Lui added.
“The RCMP and YVR take threats of this nature very seriously,” Lui said. “After the initial investigation, investigators determined this to be a false report, and that there is no credible threat to public safety.”
The Vancouver Airport Authority said flights were operating normally, but it was aware of the incident.
The Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport said earlier on X that it was “investigating a security incident” and warned that operations may be disrupted. By 10:30 a.m. ET, it said that its security investigation had “safely concluded and regular operations are resuming.”
The Ottawa Police Service also said on X that it was investigating a security incident at the Ottawa airport.
In a statement to CBC News, the Edmonton International Airport confirmed a “security incident” was causing a “handful of delays.”
“The safety and security of our passengers, team members and partners is our top priority. We can confirm a security incident had minimal impact on operations this morning,” a spokesperson said.
The Calgary International Airport said that “a security incident this morning has had minimal impact on regular operations.”
Officials at Montreal’s airport authority said operations there had resumed as of 7:30 a.m ET.
An Air Canada spokesperson said “there has been minimal impact on our operations” and advised people to check the status of their flights.
