Travelers flying within Canada are asked to arrive at Toronto Pearson International Airport at least two hours before their flight amid longer than usual delays in security checks.
A spokesman for The Greater Toronto Airport Authority issued the warning Tuesday morning, urging passengers not only to arrive earlier but also to be ready to go through security with all the necessary documentation and items.
“Domestic departing passengers are asked to arrive at least two hours before the scheduled flight, and international departing passengers are asked to arrive at least three hours before the planned flight,” they said.
It is typical for local passengers to arrive closer to 90 minutes before their flight.
The problems began on Monday morning, with the Canadian Air Safety Authority (CATSA) confirming to CTV News Toronto that they were experiencing staffing problems.
People taking off from Pearson turned to social media on Monday, saying they were stuck in a “chaotic situation” due to long queues and delays in security. (Moved down)
“CATSA screening contractors are not immune to the recruitment and retention challenges faced by the wider commercial aviation industry,” a CATSA statement said.
“Before the pandemic, resources could be used more efficiently between cross-border and domestic and international checkpoints due to gradual passenger peaks. With the resumption of air travel, we are seeing simultaneous peaks, which could lead to the flooding of passengers at more than one checkpoint at a time, making the redistribution of resources to deal with these numbers of passengers more challenging. “
One passenger told CP24 that he missed his flight on Monday after waiting in line for more than an hour and a half and had to return on Tuesday.
Although there were delays reported early Tuesday morning, the lines appear to have been cleared. According to the CATSA website, the waiting time around 9:30 am is less than 10 minutes.
Federal Transport Minister Omar Algabra said passengers could see long queues at airports for weeks while the airport gathers the necessary resources.
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