Continuity of travel and health measures do not mix well at airports

The organization blames pandemic health measures for the situation and is asking Ottawa to remove random testing and public health questions asked at customs.

These additional procedures mean it takes four times longer than before the pandemic to accept travelers to Canada, said Airport Council acting president Monette Pasher.

These additional measures did not cause problems when people traveled a bit, he said, but now it has become a real problem.

” As we continued our regular travels, we found it clear that we could not have public health requirements and assessments across our borders. “

Waiting for the plane after landing

The situation is particularly critical at the country’s largest airport. At Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, passengers on 120 flights were detained on their planes on Sunday as they waited their turn to line up at customs.

This wait is sometimes 20 minutes, but can also take more than an hour, Ms. reasoned. Pasher.

The current terminals are deliberately not designed for the lengthy customs clearance process, he said: there is no space required to accommodate all the waiting travelers.

The air terminal is also not the right place to take COVID-19 tests, Ms. Pasher, especially such reviews are rarely requested in communities at large.

” Continuing regular travel along these health protocols and these tests cannot coexist without significant pressure on our system. “

The government is aware that long queues at airports are frustrating for passengers, said a statement from the federal Department of Transportation.

The measures currently being taken are based on the recommendations of public health experts and aim to protect all Canadians. We will continue to adjust our measures based on expert recommendationssaid Transport Canada.

Ottawa said it is working with the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority with the goal of assigning more officers to checkpoints and recruiting more.

However, the federal government does not intend to ask air carriers to reduce the number of scheduled flights.

From May 1 to 7, 1.3% of the 1,920 travelers selected for testing for COVID-19 tested positive. For comparison, the positivity rate stands at 3.46% for the period from April 1 to 9, but many more tests are being conducted during this time.

The requirements are not consistent with peer countries

Pandemic health measures were put in place and then removed over time and successive waves of COVID-19 in Canada. So far, these travel measures are the smallest restrictions we’ve seen in months – properly vaccinated travelers are only randomly evaluated.

However, the requirements are not consistent with peer countries, said Conservative transport spokeswoman Melissa Lantsman. He wanted to know why the Canadian government acts in a different opinion than other countries.

” We consider the government in its word that it receives notices [scientifiques] and acted accordingly, but he did not share any of it with the Canadian public. “

Long delays at airports are sending a negative message to travelers and the MP is worried about the impact it will have on Canadian tourism, as the industry struggles to recover this season after the pandemic collapse. It sends a signal to go somewhere else, that we are not open for businesshe says.

On Monday, before the House of Commons committee, several players in the travel industry pleaded for further relaxation.

The measures are hurting our economy and affecting our reputation as a destination of choice for tourism, international conferences and sporting events in the eyes of international travelers.supported the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s senior director of transportation, infrastructure and regulatory policy, Robin Guy.

Witnesses in Ottawa called to review border steps and remove those that are no longer needed.