In May of this year, 2,700 arriving flights at Toronto Pearson International were affected by metering or holding, affecting the travel plans of over 490,000 international arriving passengers.
It's a high-profile issue, amidst reports that Air Canada cancelled almost 10% of its flights at YYZ in the first week of June. That amounts to about 360 Air Canada flights cancelled between June 1 and June 7.
Pearson has become the focal point of criticism, with staffing issues being blamed for long delays and cancellations. Toronto Mayor John Tory described the situation as "unacceptable" this week.
The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) says things are improving, but more needs to be done with international passenger numbers set to increase by 50% over the coming days as the summer travel season kicks off.
The GTAA thanked the federal government for its commitment to reduce delays for arriving and departing passengers at Canada's hub airports, and for the progress that has been achieved.
"Their response to our request for the addition of more Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers is making a difference," the GTAA said in a press statement.
"The recognition that more work is required by the Government to address international arrivals is also welcome. In a few days, In anticipation of a new wave of business and family travellers we urge the government to act immediately to temporarily pause random testing on arrival in airports for an immediate improvement until upgrades to the Government's ArriveCan app have been made."
The airport management company says travellers are being further delayed because of the time it takes to select passengers for random testing.
The GTAA says it is collaborating with the Government on concrete solutions and is taking every conceivable step to ensure the airport is ready this summer. This includes deploying more staff to aid in the processes that have been introduced during the pandemic, with CBSA adding more kiosks in the Canada Customs Hall, and hiring additional staff.
"The stakes have never been higher, and the world is watching," said Deborah Flint, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), GTAA.
"We're thankful for the steps that the federal government has taken and their recognition that more needs to be done. This is about much more than Toronto Pearson; it's about global perceptions of our country and the risk that Canada will lose billions of dollars from tourism and business activities if travellers decide that coming to Canada this summer simply isn't worth the hassle."
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