Under criticism over long security and customs lineups, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) says it is "extremely proud" of the way its employees have shown up throughout the pandemic, but also "acutely aware of the extreme wait times passengers are facing."
The Pearson International Airport operator says solving the problem will take some work. It points out that the facility is comprised of a complex ecosystem of players - each responsible for delivering different aspects of a passenger's journey.
For example, The GTAA notes there are three government checkpoints within the airport:
-- Pre-board security screening on departure, provided by Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA).
-- Preclearance on departure for all U.S. destinations, provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (US-CBP).--
-- Customs clearance for international flights upon arrival in Canada, provided by Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), including additional requirements established by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).
The airport operator says wait times for departing passengers at security screening points are being negatively impacted by staffing challenges at CATSA. US-bound travellers are impacted both by CATSA and USCBP staffing shortages. And international arriving passengers are facing bottlenecks and lengthy delays in border processing, which the GTAA calls "a direct result of legacy public health requirements in response to the COVID-19 pandemic."
"To prevent severe passenger congestion, airport and airline staff are forced to hold passengers on planes and deliberately meter the flow of arriving travellers into the customs hall for processing by CBSA, a process that we know and appreciate is incredibly frustrating for passengers," the GTAA adds.
It says airports have been ringing alarm bells about the comparative lack of investment in the sector. The GTAA adds that the pandemic has caused critical projects to be deferred, specialized labour to be laid-off, creating a shortage now, as well as ongoing financial challenges.
To assist with easing the long waits, the GTAA says it is "urgently" calling on the Government of Canada to:
-- Streamline or eliminate inbound legacy public health requirements at Canada's airports, and in doing, help to alleviate bottlenecks for international arriving passengers;
-- Eliminate random testing upon arrival from Canada's airports and look to effective and proven options such as community wastewater testing;
-- Invest in the necessary government agency staffing and technology to achieve globally competitive service level standards; and
-- Engage with the U.S. Government to ensure staffing and capacity at preclearance sites return to pre-pandemic levels.
"While we may be open, we are far from recovered," the GTAA statement concludes.
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