NAV CANADA

NAV CANADA is Canada’s civil air navigation service provider (ANSP). Established in 1996 as a private, not-for-profit company, NAV CANADA owns and operates the national system of air traffic control, flight information, navigation aids, aeronautical information publications, and related infrastructure that support safe and efficient aircraft operations in Canadian-designated airspace at home and over the North Atlantic. The company is funded by service charges, not taxes, and operates at arm’s length from government.

At a glance — NAV CANADA

Type	Private, non-share capital (not-for-profit) ANSP (since 1996)
What it provides	Air traffic control & advisory services • Flight information services • Aeronautical information (AIP, charts, NOTAM) • Navigation aids & surveillance (including ADS-B) • Weather briefings (with partners)
Facilities (examples)	Area control centres • Control towers • Flight service stations & flight information centres • Technical operations sites
Oversight & partners	Transport Canada (safety regulator) • Transportation Safety Board of Canada (investigator) • Airports/airlines • International ANSPs
Official site	navcanada.ca

Mandate and role

NAV CANADA’s mandate is to operate a safe, efficient, and innovative air navigation system (ANS) for civil aviation. It provides services to commercial airlines, air cargo operators, business aviation, general aviation, and military flights using Canadian-designated airspace.

Core services

Air traffic control (ATC): Tower and en-route/terminal control at major airports and in controlled airspace; separation, sequencing, and flow management.
Flight information services (FIS): Airport advisory, en-route information, weather observations/briefings, NOTAM dissemination, and alerting services through flight service stations (FSS) and flight information centres (FIC).
Aeronautical information management (AIM): Publication of AIP Canada (ICAO), Canada Flight Supplement/Water Aerodrome Supplement, instrument procedures, VFR/IFR charts, and NOTAM.
Navigation & surveillance infrastructure: Ground-based navaids (e.g., VOR/DME, ILS), communications networks, radar/ADS-B surveillance, and performance-based navigation procedures.
North Atlantic & remote operations: Management of Canadian-designated oceanic and northern airspace sectors in coordination with international partners.

Technology and innovation

NAV CANADA deploys advanced tools for controller decision-support, airspace optimization, and digital AIM. Canada uses multilateration, radar, and ADS-B (including space-based ADS-B through international partnerships) to improve surveillance and enable more efficient separations where approved.

Governance and funding

As a non-share capital corporation, NAV CANADA is governed by a stakeholder-based board structure. Revenues come from service charges paid by airspace users under a statutory charging framework. The organization publishes annual reports, service notices, and consultations on proposed fee changes.

Safety and oversight

Transport Canada regulates aviation safety and conducts oversight of the ANS.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigates occurrences independently.
NAV CANADA maintains safety management systems, controller training programs, and technical standards for equipment and procedures.

Training and careers

Air traffic controllers, flight service specialists, technologists, and engineers are recruited and trained through NAV CANADA’s training facilities, with qualification standards set under national and international rules.

Weather and partnerships

Operational weather observations and briefings are provided in coordination with federal meteorological authorities and contractors; pilots access pre-flight briefings, NOTAM, and flight planning through established portals and FIC services.

External links (official)

NAV CANADA — Home: https://www.navcanada.ca/
Aeronautical information (AIP, charts, NOTAM): https://www.navcanada.ca/ (Aviation/Aeronautical info)