The Canadian Press Published Friday, June 10, 2022 5:49 AM EDT Last Updated on Friday, June 10, 2022 5:49 AM EDT
Nearly half a million passengers were detained after boarding international flights at Toronto’s Pearson Airport last month.
The Greater Toronto Airports Authority says that in May, 490,810 passengers, or about half of all arrivals from abroad, were delayed when they were detained inside their planes on the tarmac or faced a staggered unloading to relieve pressure on overflowing customs areas.
In all, some 2,700 flights arriving from abroad were delayed in Pearson last month, compared to four planes and a few hundred passengers in May 2019.
There have been scenes of endless security queues and customs at major Canadian airports throughout the spring, with the high season of travel still weeks away.
Obstacles ranging from staff shortages at the airport to COVID-19 health measures threaten to lead to a problem that goes beyond efforts to drain clogged terminals.
The federal government has committed to hiring hundreds more security officers, and Transport Canada has also set up a committee of government agencies and industry stakeholders to address bottlenecks at security checkpoints. .
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on June 10, 2022.