Nav Canada
![Nav Canada Headquarters in the Commonwealth Building at 77 Metcalfe Street Ottawa, ON K1P 5L6 Canada](/Images/godic/202501/07/Nav_Canada_Headquarters_77_Metcalfe_Street_Ottawa,_ON_K1P_5L6_08405419.JPG")
![The Nav Canada control tower in Saskatoon](/Images/godic/202501/07/Saskatoon_John_G._Diefenbaker_International_AirportTower5419.jpg")
![A de Havilland Canada DHC-8-102 Dash 8 used for flight inspection at Cambridge Bay Airport in 2014](/Images/godic/202501/07/C-GCFK_Dash_8_NAV_CANADA_025419.JPG")
![Nav Canada control tower at Buttonville Airport.](/Images/godic/202501/07/ButtonvilleAirport75419.jpg")
Nav Canada is a privately run, not-for-profit corporation that owns and operates Canada's civil air navigation system (ANS). It was established in accordance with the Civil Air Navigation Services Commercialization Act (ANS Act).
The company employs approximately 1,900 air traffic controllers (ATCs), 650 flight service specialists (FSSs) and 700 technologists. It has been responsible for the safe, orderly and expeditious flow of air traffic in Canadian airspace since November 1, 1996 when the government transferred the ANS from Transport Canada to Nav Canada. As part of the transfer, or privatization, Nav Canada paid the government CA$1.5 billion.