Delays at Toronto Pearson airport 'getting better,' GTAA says

After months of chronic issues at Toronto Pearson International Airport, the operating agency says things are “getting better.”

Travellers have taken to social media to complain of long lines, cancelled flights and lost luggage, prompting politicians to call for immediate solutions.

The Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA) has attributed these delays primarily to staffing as well as temporary mechanical disruptions.

But according to the President and CEO of the GTAA, the situation may finally be starting to resolve itself.

“We're seeing challenges with a restart this summer here at Toronto Pearson and many airports across Europe and in the United States as well,” Deborah Flint told CP24 Wednesday morning.

“We're seeing both labour being restored across the system at airlines and government agencies and we're seeing processes improve.”

The GTAA says that in the past four weeks, plane holds upon arrival have dropped from an average of 33 minutes in April to just over 16 minutes in the last week of June.

They also say that 82 per cent of passengers screened at departures are going through the process in 15 minutes or less, something the GTAA adds is “well below pre-pandemic standards.”

“That's a drastic improvement over what we had before,” Flint said. “Our goal is to get to zero hold on board waiting and we'll continue to work with the government and our agencies to improve that.”

Wait times at security and customs have been improved due to the hiring of new staff, but the GTAA adds that even more staff is needed to deal with peak travel times. The agency also says the addition of new kiosks and e-gates at Canada customs is aiding in the reduction of wait times.

Flint confirmed that some airlines have reduced the number of scheduled flights in order to meet their staffing demands.

Little information has been provided regarding the issues with baggage collection, but the GTAA does say it is addressing those infrastructure issues.

‘KNOWLEDGE IS POWER,’ GTAA SAYS

The GTAA launched an online dashboard on Wednesday that allows travellers to see what hours of the day the airport is most busy.

The airport warns that if someone travels during a busy time, they should show up three hours before their international flight and two hours ahead of their domestic flight times.

“For each terminal we break down what the two-week average of wait times are throughout the day,” Flint said. “So you can plan when you're going to travel as well as planning your trip to the airport with more information.”

Flint added that the dashboard will be refined and more tools will be added in order to ease any travel anxiety.

Part of the campaign is also to inform the public on who does what at the airport. For example, check-in is the airline’s responsibility while baggage is split between both the airline and the airport. Security falls within the federal government’s mandate.

The Greater Toronto Airport Authority has released an infographic showcasing who is responsible for what element of travel.

Officials also provided a few tips for how to make the trip seamless:

• Review all entry requirements check in at home and prioritize carry-on luggage. Make sure checked bags are “easily distinguishable.”
• Know what you can and can’t take through security and have liquids, gels and electronics easily available
• Have your passport and boarding pass ready for inspection
• Complete your advanced declaration and ArriveCan details prior to arriving at the airport