Seven in ten Canadians say airport delays across the country are a “national embarrassment,” while nearly 60% say they’re not travelling until the situation improves, says a new Ipsos poll. The embarrassment is bad for Canada’s image, but the idea that six in ten Canadians are avoiding travel right now is troublesome for a Canadian tourism and travel industry that’s just beginning to get back on its feet following a two-year-plus pandemic. The poll was conducted exclusively for Global News. “The poll definitely suggests there’s a lot of anger right now and uncertainty around travel,” Gregory Jack, vice-president of Ipsos Read more
airport delays
The union representing Canadian border agents says the Trudeau government “has no plan” to restore normal travel in Canada. The Customs and Immigration (CIU) has issued a statement condemning Ottawa for taking only token, short-term action to solve gnarly lineups and other travel problems at Canada’s airports, including Toronto Pearson. “With no end in sight to delays affecting travelers at airports and border crossings across the country, it’s clear the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has no plan to to get travel back on track anytime soon,” the CIU statement says. “This is only made more evident by CBSA’s recently Read more
Canada’s largest airline says it anticipated this year’s travel surge and has responded with solid action. Air Canada and other major players in the Canadian aviation industry met today with Canadian Transport Minister Omar Alghabra to talk about, among other things, recent airport crowding problems at Toronto Pearson and other airports. Following the meeting, Air Canada issued a statement saying it understands the issues at hand. “At Air Canada, we know every trip is important, even more so today as many are flying for the first time in years to see loved ones or take an eagerly anticipated holiday. We Read more
The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), operator of Toronto Pearson, came together with the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to offer passengers travel tips and advice as the busy summer travel season heats up. “We’re heading into what is traditionally our busiest time of the year and we want to arm passengers with tips to help them move through the travel experience as smoothly as possible,” said Deborah Flint, President and CEO of the GTAA. “We’ve been supporting our government agencies and airline partners to help manage difficult situations at the airport and we’re using Read more
A former Canadian airline executive says airport congestion problems could be with us for some time. Published reports today say that more than one in every 20 flights scheduled to depart from Toronto Pearson Airport were cancelled between June 1 and June 7 due to delays and flight backlogs. The Globe and Mail said Air Canada cancelled nearly 10% of its flights “amid staffing shortages and a surge in passengers at Canada’s busiest airport.” Airlines around the world have been grappling with major delays and problems as travel surges to pre-pandemic levels. U.S. airlines are facing a shortage of pilots. Read more
