Air Canada suffering system-wide failure, flights operating at 'reduced rate'

Air Canada is experiencing a technical issue with its flight communications system, causing delays across the country for the second time in a week.

Air Canada is experiencing a technical issue with its flight communications system, causing delays across the country for the second time in a week.

In a statement to CTVNews.ca, the Montreal-based company said it’s experiencing a “temporary technical issue” with the system it uses to communicate with aircraft and monitor the performance of its operations.

“This is resulting in flight delays across our system, but we continue to operate flights at a reduced rate,” the statement reads.

“Customers are advised to check their flights before going to the airport. We apologize to those affected, and appreciate their patience.”

Michel Rosset, communications manager for the Winnipeg Airports Authority, said the majority of flights scheduled to depart from the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport on Thursday morning were delayed.

Flights in the afternoon and evening were scheduled to run on time at the Winnipeg airport, but Rosset advised passengers to look online for updated flight information as that could change.

“With flights, even on a good day, things could change pretty quickly. So I'd recommend, if you're looking for updated (flight information) throughout the day, the best bet is just to head to our website,” he told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview.