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IrelandFlight backlog could take days to clear, McGill aviation expert says
Global News finds passengers waiting for updates at Toronto Pearson, with Air Canada and WestJet offering no timetable for normal service.
Global News
Story of Why this story? The video opened at a pace of 556,973 views a day, 41 times a normal first day on this channel (13,485).
US flight shutdown leaves Canadian travellers waiting for flights and answers
Next story: Stelco workers to return by December, Global National reports
Air Canada and WestJet warned that disruptions would continue through Saturday, but neither offered a return-to-normal timetable. At Toronto Pearson, Global News reporter Nathaniel Dove found passengers waiting for information as well as flights after the U.S. nationwide ground stop.
His report shows delayed departures on airport boards and lines through check-in and security. McGill University aviation expert John Gradek says clearing the backlog could take several days, extending the recovery well beyond the initial shutdown.
The brief report drew roughly 287,000 views in eight hours, far beyond the channel's usual first-day audience for Shorts. Its focus is the uncertainty left at the airport, even as flights begin returning to normal.
Dove pairs that airport picture with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin's explanation that a hardware failure, rather than a cyberattack, caused the disruption. Gradek raises a broader concern: newer technology is being integrated into aviation infrastructure that still relies on decades-old copper wiring.
Global News also posted a fast-starting clip of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy discussing problems during the wiring upgrade. In a separate interview with the broadcaster's Jazan Grewal, Gradek explains why restarting departures is not enough: the domestic and wider North American flight network has to be pieced back together.
Canada's national airline and its largest by fleet size and passenger numbers. Toronto Pearson is one of its main hubs.
More on Wikipedia ›Canada's second-largest airline, based in Calgary, Alberta. It was launched as a lower-cost alternative to the country's major airlines.
More on Wikipedia ›Canada's largest and busiest airport, mainly located in Mississauga, Ontario. It is the main airport serving Toronto and the surrounding region.
More on Wikipedia ›The U.S. secretary of homeland security since 2026. A Republican, he previously represented Oklahoma in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
More on Wikipedia ›Published on Trari
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- Channel
- Global News
- Subscribers
- 4,930,000
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 8,389,114
- Channel views, pace per day
- 929,428 (on a normal day: 1,593,849)
- Video published
- November 14, 2026
- Video views so far
- 287,398 (less than a day online)
- Video views, pace per day
- 556,973
The numbers
The Pearson report drew an unusually large early audience for a Global News Short. The broadcaster's wiring-upgrade clip and longer aviation interview also started well above their usual levels.
💡 Test your knowledge
Which Canadian city is home to WestJet's headquarters?
WestJet is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta.