Deborah Flint, executive director of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), says a change in passenger screening rules is needed to deal with busy terminals and long lines. Fred Loom / The Globe and Mail
Deborah Flint took over the management of Canada’s busiest airport in early 2020, just days before the pandemic shook the world and left the aviation industry struggling to survive.
More than two years later, it turns out to be leading Toronto Pearson through a new crisis: clogged airport terminals and passengers held in parked planes amid a shortage of government contractors conducting security checks, customs and COVID-19 on passengers . Similar traffic jams occur in Vancouver and Montreal, but the problem is most acute in Toronto Pearson.
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The delays have disappointed passengers returning to the skies for the first time since the pandemic began, hampered airlines’ ability to recover lost revenue and damaged Canada’s reputation in the global tourism industry.
As the busy summer season approaches, the need to address the problem is urgent and the Canadian government needs to take action, Ms Flint said. “We need solutions and we need implementation to make that happen,” she said in an interview this week.
She called on the government to streamline the movement of people through the terminals by repealing some of the COVID-19 checks, extending the powers of the ArriveCan travel app to remove queues in pavilions, using biometrics to identify and speed up checks. Instructions for trusted passengers and the use of new luggage scanning technology with the requirement to remove laptops and other electronics.
As the busy summer travel season approaches and passenger volumes increase by 50 percent, there is little time to fix the problem, Ms. Flint said.
The head of the Crown Corporation, which hires three contractors for security checks, apologized for the long wait. Mike Saunders, chief executive of the Canadian Air Safety Authority, urged passengers to be patient and arrive two or three hours earlier for their flights as staff levels rise. He cited staff shortages at the three companies that work on behalf of the government at 89 airports, Allied Universal in British Columbia, Garda World in the Prairies, Ontario and the Northwest Territories and Securitas Transport in Quebec, Atlantic Canada and Nunavut.
Before the pandemic, about 7,400 people had done the work. Today, that number is 6,500, said Susanne Perceo, a CATSA spokeswoman.
The contactors employ another 1,000 security staff, supported by additional training capacity from CATSA. However, low unemployment for decades has made it harder to hire. Pearson Garda does not have 50 employees from its usual level of 2,100 people, 300 of whom are recruits who are still being trained. Before the pandemic, the volume of passengers was more stable, Ms Perseo said, but now they are seeing floods of passengers arriving at the same time. “Sometimes this can contribute to waiting longer for passengers,” she said.
The Canadian Border Protection Agency, which is responsible for customs controls, declined to discuss staffing levels. “What I can tell you is that the CBSA is taking appropriate measures to ensure that there are sufficient resources available for adequate border management and to allow for increased flexibility and response to service needs when and when it is necessary, “said Patrick Mahafi, a CBSA spokesman.
“When several flights gather and passengers accumulate, in some cases this can create a funnel effect leading to the pre-school waiting area, which can lead to tidying up. Due to limited infrastructure and space, passengers may need to be organized before entering the CBSA processing area, “said Mr Mahafi, adding that delays can increase when passengers need more time to complete their ArriveCan app used to collect and report their travel information.
Laurel Lennox, a spokeswoman for Transport Minister Omar Algabra, said Transport Canada had set up a commission to find solutions to the long-term trains and noted the recent hiring of 400 inspection agents.
“We take this issue seriously and continue to work with CATSA and all partners to create effective short-term and long-term solutions to these problems,” said Ms. Lennox.
“Time is of the essence,” Ms. Flint said in an interview. “We have to make decisions and actually come up with measures that will be implemented in the next few weeks, because summer traffic will increase and we have an incredible opportunity for tourists to return to the country. They will be reluctant to do so with the headlines. “
Mrs. Flint, born in Hamilton to parents in Jamaica and Nigeria, traveled extensively as she grew up. Prior to Pearson’s tenure, she ran Los Angeles International Airport for four years. Although she sees the tides of people moving through the airport on their daily walks through the halls of the terminal, she relies on data to tell the story.
In the week ending May 22, 112,000 Pearson passengers were forced to wait on a plane before being allowed to leave due to bottlenecks at terminals, an increase of 12,000 compared to the previous period, she said. International arrivals face an average wait of 30 minutes on the plane – some up to 75 minutes. “This is absolutely unacceptable when we have opportunities to improve the system,” Ms Flint said.
“I always say that the airport is the front door and the attractiveness of the curb, which reflects the capabilities and ambitions of a country. So this is so important that we reflect the best of Canada, a modern, innovative, capable country that welcomes business, that welcomes travelers, that welcomes tourists, that welcomes immigrants.
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