Canadian airports returning to normal operations after early morning bomb threats

Bomb threats early Thursday resulted in temporary disruptions and control tower evacuations at some airports across Canada, officials said.

Airports gradually returned to normal operations after Nav Canada, the country’s air traffic control service, said airports in Ottawa, Montreal, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver received the threats.

RCMP in Richmond, B.C., said they received a report of a threat at the Vancouver airport’s Nav Canada control tower around 2 a.m. local time. The tower was evacuated and no threats were found after a search, the force said in a press release.

“After the initial investigation, investigators determined this to be a false report, and that there is no credible threat to public safety,” said Cpl. Melissa Lui, Richmond RCMP media officer.

U.S. Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson Kevin Morris said in a statement there were “brief ground stops” at airports in Montreal and Ottawa, and they were lifted at around 7:40 a.m.

Nav Canada said in a social media post that service was gradually resuming after “the evacuation of number of our sites” and threat assessment by authorities.

“We thank airlines and passengers for their patience as we work towards normal operations,” it said.

Transport Canada spokesperson Hicham Ayoun said the agency was working with airport authorities, Nav Canada and local law enforcement “to fully assess the situation.”

“As a result of this morning’s events, some flights may still be delayed over the next hours,” Ayoun said in a statement.

The Ottawa airport said earlier Thursday that it was investigating a “security incident” and operations could be disrupted. Its website showed that several morning flights were delayed.

The airport later said the investigation had “safely concluded” and regular operations have resumed.

Austin De St. Croix said he was at the Ottawa airport Thursday and was heading to Vancouver when his flight was suddenly cancelled.

“I went to check in, and then between checking in and the security gate, they told me my flight was cancelled, no info,” he said.

Lorraine Sundholn was also at the Ottawa airport Thursday and was set to fly Halifax before her flight was delayed.

“We just sit and listen to the announcements as they come up and where to go when they finally cancelled the flight,” she said.

The Vancouver airport said it was “aware of a security concern” involving Nav Canada operations and other airports, but its flights were operating normally.

“Safety and security remains our top priority and a thorough threat assessment was conducted,” it said in a social media post.

The Montreal airport also confirmed it was back in full operation Thursday.

Travellers were still being advised to check the status of their flight before heading to the airport.

— With files from David Baxter and Kyle Duggan in Ottawa.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 3, 2025.

Rianna Lim, The Canadian Press