Canada working to address airport, travel delays: transport minister

Canada’s transport minister says the federal government is doing what it can to fix problems at major airports.

This comes as many travellers have and continue to complain about long lineups and delays for flights across the country.

Last week, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra suggested they were because Canadians are out of practice after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re seeing that the surge for demand to travel is putting a lot of pressure on our airports and our security system. We are making sure that we increase resources. We’re working with airports, we’re working with airlines to address this issue,” he told the House of Commons.

Alghabra says the lineups are good news, signalling a return to travel after pandemic-caused disruptions.

He was pressed by the Conservatives on the matter again Monday, with the CPC asking what he was doing to help.

“We are doing everything we can to address these lineups, Mr. Speaker,” he said, adding the federal government is also working with the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) to alleviate delays.

Amid the delays, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority earlier this month called for Ottawa to make investments to boost staffing levels and bring in more technology, as well as “streamline or eliminate” COVID-19 public health requirements to deal with the issue.

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Some travel out of Vancouver International Airport has also been delayed in recent weeks.

CATSA, which deals with pre-flight screening, has said it is taking “all steps possible” to increase staffing levels.

It continues to urge passengers to arrive at their departure airport “well in advance of their flights,” recommending two hours for domestic and three hours for U.S. or international destinations.

CATSA continues to urge passengers to ???????????????????????? ???????? ???????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????? ???????? ???????????????????????????? of their flights – two hours for domestic and three hours for US and international destinations.https://t.co/SJWvlGR8sW pic.twitter.com/xSeE4Nywx2

— CATSA (@catsa_gc) May 17, 2022

Federal data release last week shows more people are travelling now than at any other point in the pandemic. However, numbers as of May 9 were still short of pre-COVID times.