Toronto Pearson Airport chief Deborah Flint says passenger control rules need to be changed to address busy terminals and long queues. Fred Lum / The Globe and Mail
Deborah Flint took over Canada’s busiest airport in early 2020, just days before the COVID-19 pandemic rocked the world and left the aviation industry struggling to survive.
More than two years later, Toronto Pearson is leading the way through a new crisis: clogged airport terminals and passengers stranded on parked planes amid a shortage of government contractors performing security, customs and COVID-19 checks. travelers. Similar traffic jams are occurring in Vancouver and Montreal, but the problem is more serious in Toronto Pearson.
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Delays have frustrated passengers returning to the sky for the first time since the pandemic began, hampered airlines’ ability to recover lost revenue, and damaged Canada’s reputation in the global travel industry.
With the summer season approaching, the need to resolve the issue is urgent and the Canadian government must take action, says Ms. Flint. “We need decisions and we need execution for that to happen,” he said in an interview.
She calls on the government to expedite the movement of people through the terminals by removing some of the checks for COVID-19, extending the powers of the ArriveCan travel app to remove queues at newsstands, using biometrics to identify and speed up reliable passenger logs and using new technology to scan luggage without having to remove laptops and other electronic devices.
As the busy summer travel season approaches and passenger volume increases by 50 percent, there is little time to fix the problem, Ms. Flint.
The head of the Crown corporation, which hires three contractors to carry out security checks, has apologized for the long waiting times. Mike Saunders, executive director of the Canadian Air Safety Authority, urged passengers to be patient and arrive two to three hours early for their flights as staffing levels increase.
He noted the shortage of staff at the three companies working on behalf of the government at 89 airports: Allied Universal in British Columbia; World Guard in the Prades, Ontario and Northwest Territories; and Securitas Transport in Quebec, Atlantic Canada and Nunavut.
Prior to the pandemic, some 7,400 people were carrying out the work. Today, that figure is 6,500, said Suzanne Perseo, a spokeswoman for CATSA.
The contacts are hiring 1,000 more security officers, with the support of CATSA’s additional training capacity. However, a low unemployment rate for decades makes it difficult to hire. At Pearson, Garda has 50 employees above its usual level of 2,100 people, and 300 of these are new recruits still in training.
Before the pandemic, the volume of passengers was more staggered, said Ms. Perseus. But now, passenger floods are coming simultaneously. “Sometimes this can help increase passenger waiting times,” he said.
The lack of staff at airlines, ground service companies and US customs clearance stations has also hampered the rise in travel.
The Canada Border Services Agency, which is responsible for customs control, declined to discuss staffing levels. “What I can tell you is that CBSA is taking the right steps to ensure that there are enough resources available to properly manage the border and allow for the ability to increase operational flexibility and respond to service demands when needed.” said Patrick Mahaffy. an agency spokesman.
“When multiple flights converge and passengers accumulate, in some cases a funnel effect can be created leading to the pre-primary waiting area, which can lead to alignments. Due to infrastructure and space limitations, it is possible that travelers should be organized before entering the CBSA processing area, ”said Mr. Mahaffy, and added that delays can increase when travelers need more time to complete their ArriveCan app, which is used to collect and report their trips. information.
Laurel Lennox, spokeswoman for Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, said Transport Canada had formed a committee to find long-term solutions and noted the recent hiring of 400 control officers.
“We take this issue seriously and continue to work in partnership with CATSA and all partners to create effective short- and long-term solutions to these issues,” Ms. Lennox.
“Timing is essential in this,” Ms. Flint. “We have to make decisions and come up with measures that will be implemented in the coming 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 joining Pearson, he ran Los Angeles International Airport for four years. Although in his daily walks through the corridors of the terminal he sees the ebb and flow of people moving around the airport, he has the data to tell the story.
In the week ending May 22, 112,000 Pearson passengers were forced to wait on parked planes before they could leave, delays due to bottlenecks at terminals. He said it was an increase of 12,000 over the previous period. International arrivals face an average wait of 30 minutes by plane, some up to 75 minutes. “This is purely unacceptable when we have opportunities to improve the system,” Ms. Flint.
“I always say that the airport is the gateway and the attraction that reflects the capabilities and ambitions of a country. So this is so important that we reflect the best of Canada, a modern, innovative and capable country that it welcomes business, it welcomes travelers, it welcomes tourists, it welcomes immigrants. “
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