Airport Congestion
Location: National
Issue/Source: Recent issues related to public air travel
Date: March 7, 2023
Suggested Responses
- Transport Canada’s top priority remains the safety, security and efficiency of Canada’s transportation system.
- Canada’s major international airports experienced heightened delays and cancellations in the spring/summer 2022 travel period due to a rapid return in travel demand. This outstripped the system’s capacity to hire, train, and certify staff at the pace required, all in a tight labour market.
- Airport congestion was a global phenomenon that also affected Canada. Between February and June 2022, passenger traffic in Canada increased more than 280%, compared to about a 58% increase in the United States during that same time period.
- The Government of Canada quickly responded to support the industry’s recovery, working closely with other government departments and industry, including airports and airlines, to remove bottlenecks, create efficiencies, and streamline processes for travellers.
- Significant improvements were made by partners in the air sector, including hiring and training of new employees, and performance returned to near pre‑pandemic levels by the end of the summer.
- The Government of Canada will continue to work with industry to improve the facilitation of passengers transiting through the Canadian air transport system.
If pressed on holiday travel disruption
- The 2022 winter holiday travel season experienced extensive delays and cancellations due in large part to unprecedented extreme weather events sweeping across the country.
- Most air carriers were able to resume operations quickly following the extreme weather events.
- While bad weather may disrupt air travel, travellers deserve to be kept informed about alternative plans and be compensated when their rights are violated.
- It is critical that Canada’s air sector be operated safely and efficiently, while upholding passenger rights, in a competitive environment.
If pressed on air sector summit
- On November 24, 2022, the Minister of Transport hosted a National Air Sector Recovery Summit. The Summit convened senior leadership from across Canada’s air sector – including air carriers, airport operators, industry and trade associations, unions, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA), NAV CANADA, and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) – to discuss critical issues facing commercial passenger air transportation and the future of the sector in Canada.
- A questionnaire was also distributed to Summit participants and broader stakeholders to seek their perspectives on these critical issues.
- The discussion of the Summit and survey responses will inform the work of Transport Canada, along with other government departments and industry partners, in the development of strategies to continue supporting the recovery of Canada’s air sector and strengthening services for travellers.
If pressed on US Customs and Border Protection
- Transport Canada is monitoring delays in processing of passengers at United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) preclearance facilities. This affects CATSA passenger pre-board screening, as they need to limit the number of people who enter the preclearance area. The Department is working with US CBP officials to address these issues and improve processing times for preclearance checkpoints.
- Transport Canada continues to make every effort to address these issues while ensuring the highest level of security is provided to the travelling public.
Background Information
- Over the spring/summer 2022 travel season, significant issues at Canada’s airports were reported including long line-ups for security screening and customs, aircraft being held on the tarmac, delays and cancellations, as well as mishandled baggage.
- The air transport system also experienced major challenges over the 2022 holiday season, as a result of unprecedented winter storms across the continent.
- When the challenges facing the sector became apparent last spring, Transport Canada created the Airport Recovery Operations Committee (AROC) in May 2022 to investigate causes and recommend solutions for addressing airport congestion issues.
- AROC members include Air Canada, WestJet, the Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and Calgary airports, NAV CANADA, CATSA, and CBSA. The group continues to meet regularly to ensure collaboration and communication on managing airport congestion issues.
- Effective October 1, 2022, COVID-19 travel measures including all federal border testing, quarantine, and isolation requirements ended. Passengers are no longer required to wear a mask while onboard an airplane in Canada. As of January 5, 2023, all air travellers two years of age and older, taking a flight originating from the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong or Macao that lands in Canada, must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result, regardless of citizenship or vaccination status.
- Canada and the United States faced a spike in flight disruptions over the holiday period, which had a significant impact on travellers. Given the unprecedented scale, severity and duration of adverse weather occurring over the busy holiday travel period, major travel disruptions were inevitable and unavoidable in all modes of transportation. With the exception of Sunwing passengers, most operations were reinstated quickly following the major weather events and performance metrics are returning to normal.
- For the week of January 30 – February 5, 2023, 92 percent of passengers at Canada’s top 15 airports were screened within 15 minutes or less. This is a significant improvement from the week of July 11 – 17, where 80 percent of passengers were screened within 15 minutes or less.
- For the week of January 30 – February 5, 40 percent of flights at Canada’s top 15 airports experienced a delay. In comparison, for the week of
June 27 – July 3, 57 percent of flights at the top 15 airports were delayed. - Cancellations at Canada’s four largest airports have stabilized. For the week of January 30 – February 5, 2023 three percent of flights were cancelled. In comparison, for the week of June 27 – July 3, eight percent of flights were cancelled.