The federal government says that since the beginning of May, the number of passengers waiting 30 minutes and more for outbound screening at YYZ, YVR, YUL and YYC has been cut in half.
A statement from Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport, and Marco Mendicino, Minister of Public Safety, provides an update on actions the government is taking to reduce airport wait times.
"The Government of Canada recognizes the impact that significant wait times at some Canadian airports are having on travellers. It is great news that more and more Canadians are choosing to travel. As travel volume surges, there are reports of delays in many aspects of travel: Canadian customs, United States customs, airport security screening, luggage handling, airline services, taxis and limos, among many other areas," the statement read.
"We are working with airports, air carriers and other airport partners to find solutions to reduce delays in airports in advance of the summer peak season. The goal of this collaboration is to ensure efficient services for inbound and outbound passengers, so Canadians are able to travel smoothly and safely as the sector recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic."
The government says specific actions being taken in response to the airport delays include:
-- Transport Canada has created an outbound screening committee to address bottlenecks occurring at pre-board security screening and pre-clearance departure checkpoints and to develop new approaches to dealing with these pressure points in the travel system. The committee includes representatives of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA),
-- CATSA has been working with its contractors to increase the number of screening officers at passenger screening checkpoints. Currently, there are approximately 400 additional screening officers in different phases of their training across the country who will be deployed between now and the end of June. CATSA says it is very close to having recruited 100% of its target numbers of screening officers for the summer in many airports, including YYZ and YVR.
-- CATSA has accelerated the use of pre-certified screening officers to carry out non-screening functions, to optimize resources, and to allow certified screening officers to focus their efforts on key security functions. Airports, airlines, and other partners are communicating with CATSA daily to help them adjust scheduling to ensure screeners are available where and when they are needed to support busy travel times as air travel quickly recovers.
-- CBSA and the Toronto Pearson International Airport are adding 25 kiosks to speed up processing time. CBSA is also initiating the Summer Action Plan to ensure efficiency; increasing available officer capacity; and easing the return of Student Border Services Officers.
-- PHAC is working with CBSA and partners to streamline its operations. For example, it will be removing the requirement for Mandatory Random Testing on the International to Domestic Connections Process. Other changes to streamline processing on public health grounds are being developed.
"Airports, airlines and the Government of Canada, including CATSA, PHAC, TC and the CBSA, are improving communications with travellers so passengers can better anticipate pre-boarding screening and arrival processing requirements, facilitating a smoother passage in and out of airports," the federal government statement added.
The government says travellers can help speed up the processes:
-- Travellers arriving at Toronto Pearson International Airport and Vancouver International Airport can use the Advanced CBSA Declaration on the web version of ArriveCAN to make their customs and immigration declaration up to 72 hours in advance of flying into Canada. This feature will be integrated into the ArriveCAN mobile app this summer and made available at other airports across Canada in the coming months.
-- The government says the simplest thing travellers can do to speed up their airport experience is to come prepared, including completing ArriveCAN. It says travellers who arrive in Canada without having completed ArriveCAN contribute significantly to border congestion. Regardless of vaccination status, a traveller who arrives without an ArriveCAN receipt is considered an unvaccinated traveller, meaning they have to test upon arrival and Day 8 and quarantine for 14 days. Travellers without an ArriveCAN receipt may also be subject to enforcement, including a fine of $5,000.
-- Travellers 16 years old or older can use new eGates at Toronto Pearson International Airport to verify their identity and submit their customs and immigration declaration, which will improve the traffic flow at the Terminal 1 arrival hall and speed up processing.
"The Government of Canada recognizes the urgency of the situation and continues to work with all partners to address wait times as a matter of priority. With additional CATSA screeners and CBSA Border Services Officers in place and coming, and ongoing discussions to further reduce the delays, some progress has been made, but we recognize we need to do more-and we will," the statement concludes.
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