Flights Into And Out Of Toronto Pearson Airport To Be Capped

In an attempt to reduce wait times, Toronto Pearson International Airport plans to restrict the number of planes that may land and take off during peak travel periods.

Pearson's operator, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), explained the action in a comment for Global News, saying it was one of many precautions being taken in advance of the busy March break and summer travel seasons. Among these restrictions are tight limitations on the total number of commercial planes that may arrive or leave in any given hour and "limits on the number of business/general aviation flights," according to the official statements.

Moreover, procedures have been implemented to limit the number of foreign and U.S.-bound passengers using each terminal at any one time. Nevertheless, the specific numbers that will be restricted and how they will effect particular airlines and customers, including those who have already purchased tickets, remain unclear.

According to GTAA, an independent company has been hired to conduct a "baggage system health check." The inspection, which will take place this spring, will consist of on-site evaluations and interviews.

The airport has had a rough year, with several problems including delays, cancellations, and lost baggage, therefore the decision to make this adjustment was made. According to Global News, a former official of Air Canada said that the Canadian government was left "flat-footed" by the increase in passenger numbers at the beginning of the summer, which contributed to widespread flight disruptions. He concluded that "extremely inadequate planning" was the underlying problem. Despite widespread knowledge, government entities were caught absolutely unprepared.

Information gathered by monitoring services like Flight Aware in the summertime indicated the problem was especially severe around Toronto. The percentage of on-time departures and arrivals at Toronto Pearson Airport increased to 44% for one week in July, from 35% on average for the four weeks before, and from 20%-25% at the beginning of the summer.

According to a poll conducted in September, Pearson has the lowest satisfaction scores of any North American airport. When compared to other airports that serve over 33 million people annually, Pearson placed 16th in the J.D. Power airport satisfaction poll's mega airports classification. Pearson Airport was ranked 755 out of 1,000 airports, which is a drop of 25 places from previous year and 14 places lower than the average rating for large airports.

As autumn progressed, the airport's performance improved. For instance, during the week of October 10-17, 2022, 89% of travellers were able to go through airport security in under 15 minutes, as recorded by the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority.

In November, Pearson introduced a new service called YYZ Express, which allows some flyers to reserve a screening time in advance.

 

Source: globalnews.ca