The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday edition that Air Canada delayed or cancelled nearly 2,000 flights over the Canada Day long weekend in a potential taste of more trouble ahead for passengers. A Canadian Press dispatch to The Globe says that roughly half of all trips by the country's biggest airline -- including Rouge and regional partner Jazz Aviation -- were disrupted Saturday through Monday. The 1,965 flight delays and cancellations, or 52 per cent of scheduled flights, stand in contrast to other Canadian carriers including WestJet, Air Transat and Flair, which registered lower flight disruption levels. They also mark an uptick from the previous weekend, despite an unexpected shortage of air traffic controllers at Nav Canada that snarled travel during that period. Air Canada pointed out that the air travel sector is now at summer peak, with 140,000-plus customers boarding the airline's planes daily. Nonetheless, disruption figures have been trending upward over the past few weeks, said John Gradek at McGill University. Crowded flight schedules and crew shortages play a role in peak season, he said, since it is harder to find a spare plane or pilot to help fill a gap when each aircraft is flying more.