Another day of lineups, delays at Pearson Airport in Mississauga
Published May 3, 2022 at 10:04 am
Travellers at Pearson Airport in Mississauga could be in for another day of long lineups and delays caused by issues at the airport’s security screening points.
Similar delays frustrated thousands of passengers and others at Pearson all day yesterday (May 2).
Once again, Pearson officials are urging travellers to check the status of their flight before leaving for the airport and to give themselves extra time.
The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA), the federal agency that oversees security at Pearson and other airports, posted to Twitter this morning that its CEO “assures passengers efforts are underway to reduce wait times.”
That prompted a couple of quick responses from the public.
“Talk is cheap,” responded one person.
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Another posted an earlier response: “Tell travellers what you are doing to fix your wait times.”
In a news release, CATSA CEO Mike Saunders apologized for “the inconvenience to air travellers resulting from the recent increase in wait times at some major airports.”
Continuing, he assured travellers that CATSA is “aggressively working” to fix the problem, which has been caused, in large part, by staff shortages.
“CATSA is currently experiencing the pent-up demand for air travel occasioned by the pandemic. This follows two tumultuous years that resulted in a significant number of layoffs throughout the aviation industry, including the security screening workforce,” the agency said in the news release. “Now, as then, CATSA’s priority is to protect the public through effective and efficient security screening and we are committed to meeting that mandate.
“We are continuing to work with our screening contractors to take all steps possible to increase staffing levels while ensuring we continue to provide the highest levels of security screening.”
In the meantime, the agency adds, “…as staffing levels ramp back up across the industry, CATSA strongly advises that passengers arrive at the airport well in advance of their flights: two hours for domestic and three hours for U.S. and international destinations.”
Passengers should also be prepared for security screening, CATSA officials note.
The agency requires that all liquids, gels and aerosols in carry-on baggage be in containers of 100ml or less and placed in a clear, 1L resealable bag.
For additional security screening tips, visit www.CATSA.gc.ca.
CATSA officials urge passengers to show patience and understanding with screening personnel, “who are doing their best to move air travellers through the screening process as quickly as possible while ensuring their safety and security.”
Pearson Airport officials also have advice for travellers.
“If flying from Pearson today, leave yourself lots of extra time and check your flight status with your airline” or on the airport’s website prior to leaving for the airport, Pearson officials said in a tweet Monday.
Airport officials said just last week that they’re experiencing long lineups and delays related to international flights now that COVID-19 pandemic air travel restrictions have been greatly eased.
According to the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), which runs Pearson, a recent increase in the number of international passengers during peak travel times has posed some challenges.
Because some pandemic-related air travel restrictions are still in place, the increase in passenger traffic has led to some longer-than-usual waits for travellers.
Some 30,000 international travellers are arriving each day at Pearson, and that number is expected to climb to 45,000 during the summer.
In March, the federal government announced a $142-million improvement plan for Pearson Airport.
The investment is expected to improve passenger check-in systems and border clearance measures, in addition to helping with the testing and screening of COVID-19 for those arriving at the airport.
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