Toronto Pearson Airport shares travel tips to beat busy holiday season

Canada’s busiest airport is struggling to shed its reputation for cancellations and delays last summer as the holiday travel season looms.

Toronto Pearson International Airport issued travel advisories Tuesday.

The airport said the week before Christmas was expected to be the busiest time for travel, with many children returning to school around January 9.

To cope with the peak, the airport has launched an online security check booking system, YYZ Express, which allows passengers on specific flights to book security check points in advance.

In September, the airport launched an online dashboard that gives passengers real-time visibility into wait times at security, customs, airline counters and baggage carousels.

The airport rush hour dashboard, another feature Pearson recommends customers use, shows each terminal’s busiest time of day so passengers can plan accordingly.

In addition, passengers who complete the advanced declaration form will be allowed to use the fast-track customs lane, which is expected to further reduce waiting time.

The airport said this holiday season will be particularly busy as passenger traffic has increased steadily since the summer, but passenger numbers are expected to remain below pre-pandemic levels.

Deborah Flint, chief executive of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, said at a news conference that the airport has “improved a lot” since the summer and that new modern tools will help passengers prepare for holiday travel. Prepare.

Last summer, many passengers faced lengthy delays and flight cancellations at the airport, which has the worst record for flight delays in the world, according to tracking service FlightAware.