NAV CANADA plays a unique and critical role managing the 18 million square kilometres of Canadian civil airspace and the North Atlantic oceanic airspace under Canada’s control.
Air transportation is an essential industry that connects Canada to the world. It plays a vital role in our economy and in our communities from coast to coast to coast. Our critical role within the aviation ecosystem is to help guide aircraft safely and efficiently through our airspace.
We oversee air traffic through a sophisticated network of area control centres, air traffic control towers, flight service stations, maintenance centres, flight information centres and navigation aids across the country. Our customers include airlines, business aviation and air cargo operators, air charters and air taxis, helicopter operators and general aviation pilots and owners.
Since NAV CANADA was founded in 1996, safety has been our top priority. We work with aviation stakeholders and partners to identify and manage risks, develop new standards and tools, and build a company-wide culture of safety. Visit the Safety page to learn how safety is core to everything we do.
Canada was the first country in the world to privatize its civil air navigation system, and we remain one of the few fully private companies in the world wholly responsible for air traffic control, flight information and other aeronautical services.
As a not-for-profit corporation, we invest directly in our operations, people and infrastructure to keep Canada’s air navigation system as safe, efficient and innovative as it can be. Visit the Governance page to learn more about our corporate structure.
NAV CANADA manages one of the largest regions of airspace in the world. It is recognized internationally for its safety record, service excellence and technology innovation, and is a proud partner of the global air transportation industry.
Our Shared Purpose is supported by four Pillars: