Norad shuts airspace over Vancouver for remaining World Cup matches

Military authorities say they have imposed flying restrictions on the airspace over Vancouver’s inner city including BC Place Stadium during the next six FIFA World Cup games being hosted in the city.

The Canadian Armed Forces confirm that the temporary airspace restriction will be active for three hours before and after each game.

The measures are being put in place “to ensure the safety and security of the public” as Norad aircraft may be airborne during game times “to maintain a continuous aerospace control presence.”

There are matches on Thursday and Sunday, then on June 24 and 27 and July 2 and 7.

Jared Williams, president of Seair Seaplanes, says they only received notification of the restrictions on Monday, and it came as a surprise considering that tour planes were flying over Vancouver during the city’s first World Cup match on Saturday evening.

Williams says the company, which operates up to 20 air tours over Vancouver daily, has begun rebooking customers due to the airspace restrictions.

He says while there is a financial impact from the flight restrictions, the main concern of operators in Vancouver’s harbourfront is the potential for the restricted airspace to grow and impact harbour takeoffs and landings.

“It’d be huge,” Williams says of the financial damage and disruptions if the harbourfront airspace were to be closed during games. “Not only does that shut down tours, it then starts to impact scheduled services to the islands, to Nanaimo and Victoria, et cetera.

“Our priority is always safety and security, so we certainly will abide by any of the recommendations. But we hope that they consult with the operators before doing anything further beyond this.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 15, 2026.

By Chuck Chiang | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.