News of issues at Toronto's Pearson International Airport may be continuing but the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA) has released traveller numbers that may help put those troubles into perspective.
Passenger activity has increased by a whopping 780 percent during the first quarter of 2022 and 581 percent in the first six months, in comparison with 2021.
That represents an increase of 8.3 million travellers and 12.5 million respectively.
The second quarter of 2022 saw the continued easing of the pandemic and associated travel restrictions which resulted in an increase in travel volume.
The GTAA says ongoing staffing challenges, health measures (vaccination mandates, airport testing, which were in place until mid-June 2022) and other changes to procedures had broad impacts on the whole aviation sector, including: the airlines and their service providers in the provision of timely departures and baggage return; the government agencies providing border security and customs services; and NavCanada, the country's air navigation operator.
Airports, the Government of Canada and the airline industry have been working to address these various transitory challenges collectively.
"Our second quarter results reflect a growing desire on the part of the public to travel by air and connect with the people and places they love after a very long two years," said Deborah Flint, President and CEO, GTAA. "Wait times continue to improve, but we're not where we need to be yet."
The Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, the Minister of Health, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, the Minister of Public Safety, the Honourable Marco Mendicino, and the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, the Honourable Randy Boissonnault released their regular update last week, saying progress continues to be made.
"Air industry partners continue to take action to increase resources and streamline processes across the air system to ease airport congestion and help keep travellers moving," the statement reads. That action includes increased staffing, updates to ArriveCAN, streamlining processes and help for finding lost baggage.
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