Canada Runway Incidents Hit Record 639 in 2024 Amid Air Traffic Growth

Based on coverage from CHEK News, The Hamilton Spectator, CHAT News Today, Medicine Hat News, Brandon Sun, and OHS Canada.

Safety incidents on Canadian runways are climbing, even if the scariest near-misses are no longer rising the way they once did.

The increasing number of runway incursions coincides with a troubling shortage of air traffic controllers, as detailed in our previous coverage of the issue, which highlights the challenges posed by upcoming retirements in the sector. This shortage may be contributing to the rising safety incidents on Canadian runways, raising concerns about overall air traffic management. For more context, see our article on the shortage of air traffic controllers.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) says runway incursions hit a record 639 in 2024, the latest full year in its data. A runway incursion is when a plane, vehicle, or person ends up on or near a runway when they should not be there.

Canadian runway incursions hit record 639

The overall trend line is heading the wrong way. The TSB’s numbers show runway incursions reached a new high in 2024, and the rate of these incidents has also increased, not just the raw count.

TSB chair Yoan Marier said that matters because more flights alone do not fully explain what’s happening. As he put it, higher traffic would naturally push the number up, but the TSB is also concerned about the increasing rate, which roughly doubled between 2010 and 2024.

High-risk runway close calls level off

While the total number of incursions is up, the most dangerous category has steadied. The TSB data shows incidents categorized as high-risk have settled to about one per year on average since 2018. That is well below the levels seen in the decade before that.

That distinction is key for nervous flyers: the system is logging more “wrong place at the wrong time” events, but the worst near-collisions are not trending upward the same way, at least in recent years.

Still, Marier’s message is that an incursion does not need to be high-risk to be a serious safety issue. “Even an incursion that doesn’t initially cause a risk of collision, it’s still a big deal,” he said.

Pearson Airport complexity raises safety pressures

Marier pointed to growing air traffic, a shortage of air traffic controllers, and increasingly complex ground operations at major airports as contributing factors.

Toronto Pearson got a specific mention as a tough environment to operate in. Marier described it as “a very complex operating environment,” with a layout that can challenge pilots who are not used to the airport. Translation for regular travellers: the busy parts of the system have more moving pieces, and it only takes one miscommunication or missed cue on the ground to create a dangerous situation.

TSB calls for lighting, signage, technology

The TSB chair is pushing for practical changes aimed at preventing mix-ups before they snowball. Marier called for better signage and lighting, plus wider use of technology that helps pilots and controllers stay aware of aircraft and vehicle movements on the tarmac.

The TSB’s broader view is that Canada has avoided the worst-case scenario recently, but the defences need strengthening. On its website, the board says the risk “remains elevated until stronger defences are in place.”

Why Canadians are hearing more about runway safety

Runway safety drew fresh attention last month after an Air Canada Express jet hit a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport in New York, killing both pilots and sending dozens of people to hospital. That crash was outside Canada, but it put a spotlight on a type of incident aviation experts worry about everywhere: conflicts between aircraft and other vehicles on or near runways.

Marier also stressed context: flying remains among the safest ways to travel, and runway incursions are rare. The worry is the simple math of risk. If the total number of incursions keeps rising, there are more chances for the one that goes truly wrong.

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