Short version: check your airline first. If the place you need to be is within a day of driving, such as Kalispell, Whitefish, Great Falls or Spokane, we can take you there by road, door to door. If it is not, wait and rebook. Call or text (877) 748-0138, or see the ground stop page.
What Happened on Friday
At about 4 pm Eastern on Friday, November 13 2026, a little before 3 pm in Calgary, the US Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop. Departures across the United States were held.
The FAA said communications issues were affecting multiple Air Route Traffic Control Centers. It later described a “temporary telecommunications outage” and said it had halted flights out of an “abundance of caution”, as CNBC reported. US officials said there was no indication of an attack.
In Calgary, the airport authority told CTV News: “Departures of all U.S.-bound flights are currently being held at YYC until further notice.” Montreal suspended its US flights and Toronto Pearson reported no scheduled US departures or arrivals, according to Global News. NAV Canada said there was no direct impact on its own systems.
By Friday evening the FAA said flights would be allowed to depart as its facilities recovered. Flightradar24 called it the first nationwide ground stop since January 2023.
What that means for the weekend: a stop ends, and the knock-on does not end with it. Aircraft and crews finish the day in the wrong cities. CNBC noted that disruptions tend to snowball as crews reach their duty-hour limits. Plan on delays and cancellations carrying into the weekend, and confirm your flight before you leave for the airport.
This page is not a live status feed
It was last updated on Friday, November 13 2026. For what is happening right now, go to the source:
- Your airline, by app, text alert or phone. It has the status of your flight and your rebooking options.
- The FAA National Airspace System status page for US airports.
- Calgary International Airport for departures and arrivals at YYC.
News sources for this section: CTV News Calgary, Global News, CNBC, Flightradar24.
Your Options, in Honest Order
We run cars, so you would expect us to say drive. For most people the car is the fourth thing to try, not the first.
Check your airline
Before anything else. Calgary Airports said the same on Friday: travellers with US flights should check with their airline for the most up-to-date information. Do this before you leave for the terminal.
Rebook if your flight was cancelled
Your airline will tell you what it can offer and when. If a workable seat is on the table, that is usually the answer. We cannot tell you what any airline will do, and we will not guess.
Wait it out if your dates can move
A day late to a holiday or a family visit is often the simplest outcome. Flights were already restarting on Friday evening.
Go by road if you are within a day of driving
If the place you need to be is in Montana or eastern Washington, a car gets you there whatever the departure board says. This is the part we can help with.
When Driving Makes Sense, and When It Does Not
The honest pitch is simple. While a US ground stop is on, American airports are not departing either. So the drive that helps is the one that ends where you are actually going.
| From Calgary to | Road time | More detail |
|---|---|---|
| Kalispell and Whitefish, Montana (FCA) | About 5 hours | Calgary to Whitefish |
| Great Falls, Montana (GTF) | About 5 hours | Calgary to Great Falls |
| Spokane, Washington (GEG) | About 6.5 to 7.5 hours | Calgary to Spokane |
| Seattle, Washington | About 10 to 11 hours | A full travel day |
Road time only. The border and a rest stop are on top of it. It is mid-November, so every time is weather and border permitting. Helena, Missoula, Bozeman and Big Sky are in our Calgary to Montana guide.
It Makes Sense When
- Your destination itself is in Montana or eastern Washington
- You have a fixed deadline: a wedding, a funeral, a closing, a shift
- You are a family or a group and want to stay together in one vehicle
- You are south of the border and need to get home to Calgary
It Does Not Make Sense When
- You are headed to Florida, the East Coast, California, Arizona, Nevada or Hawaii
- Your dates are flexible and a day of waiting costs you little
- Your airline has already offered a seat that works
- The plan depends on a connecting flight nobody has confirmed
The Calgary departures cancelled on Friday included Palm Springs, Orlando, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Hawaii, according to CTV News. None of those is a drive. If that is your trip, wait and rebook. We would rather tell you that now than sell you a long ride that does not get you there.
A second option, once flights are moving: driving to a nearby US airport such as Kalispell, Great Falls or Spokane to catch a US domestic flight may work for some trips. Hold a confirmed seat before you set out, and ask your airline first. We do not promise seats or flights.
How a Cross-Border Chauffeured Run Works
Call or text (877) 748-0138
Tell us where you are, where you need to be, how many people and how many bags. Pickups are at YYC, at a hotel or at home, in Calgary, Banff or Canmore.
We tell you how soon we can roll
We are a small company with our own vehicles, so we will be straight about what we can send today and when. You get one flat quote before you leave. No surge pricing.
One vehicle, door to door
A sedan for one or two travellers, a Chevrolet Suburban SUV for up to 6 with luggage, or a Ford Transit executive van for groups of 12 to 14. Your bags stay where you put them.
The border
Your chauffeur picks the crossing and the timing. You keep passports in hand and answer the questions the officer asks. We cannot predict the wait, and admission to the United States is the decision of the officer.
Dropped where you are going
A front door, a hotel, a terminal curb. The same works in reverse for people coming north.
The Crossings, From the Official Port Pages
- Coutts, Alberta and Sweet Grass, Montana on Highway 4: open 24 hours, every day (US Customs and Border Protection). The crossing for Great Falls and Interstate 15.
- Roosville on Highway 93: open 24 hours, every day (CBP). The shorter road to Whitefish and Kalispell.
- Carway, Alberta and Piegan, Montana on Highway 2: posted hours. This winter the Canadian side is open 8 am to midnight Alberta time (Canada Border Services Agency), and the US side lists 7 am to 11 pm Montana time (CBP).
One thing that catches people this winter: Alberta no longer changes its clocks (Government of Alberta), and Montana still does. Until March 14 2027, Montana is one hour behind Calgary.
The full walkthrough, including what happens if a vehicle is sent inside for extra questions, is in how cross-border chauffeur service works.
What to Bring
- A valid passport for every passenger, children and infants included. On you, not in a bag in the back.
- Not a Canadian or American citizen? Check the current US entry rules for your passport yourself before you book. We do not give immigration advice.
- The address where you are going and your original travel booking. The officer may ask.
- A consent letter for children travelling without both parents. Canada recommends one (travel.gc.ca).
- Your checked bags. If they went in before the flight was held, sort that out with your airline before you leave the terminal.
- Medication, a phone charger and warm layers. It is mid-November and the rest stops are cold.
- No cannabis. It is illegal to take it across the border in either direction (CBSA).
Need to Get Across the Border by Road?
Tell us where you need to be. We will tell you how soon we can roll and what we can send today, with one flat quote before you leave.
Ground Stop FAQ
Is the US ground stop still on?
My flight from Calgary to the US was held or cancelled. What should I do first?
How long will the backlog last?
Can you drive me from YYC to the United States?
Which border crossing do you use for Montana?
What do I need at the border?
Should I drive to a US airport and fly from there?
I am stuck in Montana or Washington and need to get home to Calgary. Can you help?
What does it cost?
Most people caught in this will be fine by waiting a day. Some cannot wait, and some are only a few hours of highway from where they need to be. If that is you, ask what we can send today.
Call or text (877) 748-0138. We will tell you honestly whether the road helps.
Keep reading: Ground Stop Help |Calgary to Montana Guide |Calgary to Kalispell FCA |Calgary to Spokane GEG
