Pearson Airport in Mississauga anticipates March break crowds, offers tips

With March break right around the corner, Pearson Airport in Mississauga is providing travellers with some tips to keep them moving as smoothly as possible during the busy period. 

According to stats from Pearson, hundreds of thousands of Ontarians will be jetting through the province to a destination of their choosing — a 10 per cent increase from last year. This means that in one day alone, roughly 1,000 flights will coming in and out of Pearson. 

To avoid any headaches that can come with this volume of air traffic, Pearson has offered up standard (and digital) shortcuts to make things substantially easier for those looking to access the services they provide. 

These include: 

• YYZ Express: A digital reservation program that lets travellers book a spot in the security line ahead of their flight up to 72 hours in advance. 
• Mobile Passport Control: A United States Customs and Border Protection application that allows one to submit information online when travelling to the US.
• Avoid Congestion: When at the curbside terminals, avoid interruption by dropping passengers off at the Viscount station. This station is located just outside the airport and can guide passengers to Terminals One and Three free of charge.
• Wait Times Dashboard: This digital tool provides travellers with real-time information ahead of arriving at the airport. This gives passengers information about what to expect before arriving at the airport, with additional support via a peak travel times dashboard as well, which shows Pearson’s busy period.  
• Advance Declaration: This service is provided by the Canada Border Services Agency and lets travellers submit their customs and immigration declaration up to 72 hours in advance of flying into Canada.
• Online Car Registration: This form of digital registration allows travellers to park their car at Toronto Pearson, guaranteeing a spot in advance. 
• X (Formerly Twitter): Monitor Pearson’s X page for any major operational updates. 

To close things out, Pearson representatives also mentioned that just because Ontario has had a mild winter, doesn’t mean winter is over, and all travellers coming in and out of Ontario should always be checking the weather.