The Government of Canada and industry partners continue to take action to reduce wait times and delays at Canadian airports

OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 14, 2022 /CNW/ - The Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, the Minister of Public Safety, the Honourable Marco Mendicino, and the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, issued this update today on the continued action and progress being made by the Government of Canada and industry partners to reduce traveller wait times and delays across Canadian airports.

Latest data

Flight completions

• For the week of October 3-9, 2022, 99 percent of flights planned for Canada's top four airports were completed (i.e., not cancelled); an improvement from 95 percent for the first week of July.
• This percentage is the same as the week of October 7-13, 2019, when 99 percent of flights for the top four airports were completed.

On-time performance

• From October 3-9, 2022, over 91 percent of flights from the top four airports left on time, or within one hour of their scheduled departure.
• This is a significant improvement from under 75 percent for the first week of July and is approaching the pre-pandemic levels in October 2019 where 96 percent of flights were on time, or within an hour of scheduled departure.

Holding of aircraft at Toronto Pearson International Airport 

• The number of arriving international flights being held on the tarmac at Toronto-Pearson International Airport has decreased dramatically since May. For the week of October 3-9, 2022, 0.6 percent, or 12 international flight arrivals, were held on the tarmac, as compared to the peak of 373 during the first week of May.

Passenger security screening wait times 

• From October 3-9, 2022, 90 percent of passengers at the four largest airports were screened within 15 minutes by the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA); an improvement from 79 percent during the first week of July 2022.
• Toronto-Pearson International Airport: 89 percent (98 percent in 2019)
• Vancouver International Airport: 90 percent (91 percent in 2019)
• Montréal-Trudeau International Airport: 93 percent (94 percent in 2019)
• Calgary International Airport: 89 percent (87 percent in 2019)

Advance CBSA Declaration

• Travellers are encouraged to use the optional Advance CBSA Declaration to submit their customs and immigration declaration through ArriveCAN to save time at the airport. This optional feature is currently available to travellers arriving at Toronto-Pearson, Vancouver, Montréal-Trudeau or Winnipeg international airports. In the coming months, this feature will become available at the Calgary, Edmonton, Billy Bishop Toronto City, Ottawa, Québec City and Halifax international airports.

Increasing staffing for security screening and collaborating with industry partners

• Since April, CATSA has hired 2,011 screening officers across Canada. Efforts to increase screening officer staff levels at all airports continue.
• The Minister of Transport and Transport Canada continue to meet regularly with airports and airlines alongside CATSA, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), and NAV CANADA to ensure a continued safe and efficient travel experience, now and in the future.

Associated Links

• Government of Canada to remove COVID-19 border and travel measures effective October 1
• Infographic – Recovery of Air Transportation in Canada

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SOURCE Transport Canada

Contacts: Nadine Ramadan, Press Secretary and Communications Advisor, Office of the Honourable Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport, Ottawa, [email protected]; Media Relations, Transport Canada, Ottawa, [email protected], 613-993-0055