An Air Canada pilot vented his frustrations over air traffic controller shortages on a recent flight, telling passengers to write their MPs to address ongoing delays at the country's airports.

The pilot on a Vancouver-Montreal flight on Saturday vented over the intercom, with a CBC reporter capturing a portion of his message announcing a 50-minute delay.

In the message, he says that the air traffic controller sector — which is operated by private company Nav Canada — was understaffed, and sick calls had meant there was a holdup at the airport that day.