Canada’s Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) is set to implement a cap on inbound and outbound flights during March break and peak summer period hours.
It would appear that the airport, which is the largest in Canada, is proactively implementing the capacity measures in order to prevent a repeat of last year’s chaotic season.
Whilst many major airports struggled with re-surging passenger numbers, last summer season saw Toronto Pearson ranked as the worst in the world for delays and customer disruptions.
The 2022 peak travel season saw thousands of flights cancelled at the airport, as well as instances of missing baggage and passengers strandings.
According Canadian news source The Toronto Star, YYZ operator The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) said that it intended to place a limit on the number of passengers arriving internationally or departing to the US in a given hour.
Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
According to the source, the GTAA spokesperson Rachel Bertone stated:
“The GTAA has taken decisive measures designed to flatten peak-hour schedules for the March break and the upcoming summer season. These include hard limits on the number of commercial flights that can arrive or depart in any given hour,”
Air Canada statement
Canadian national flag carrier has also voiced its support, acknowledging the moves by the airport to control limits.
Air Canada today issued the following statement in response to reports about the Greater Toronto Airport Authority imposing limits on carrier operations at Toronto-Pearson airport:
“Air Canada was first advised of the GTAA’s plans in August 2022, and so it designed its 2023 winter schedule with these limitations taken into account and anticipates no significant changes to its schedule for the March Break travel period.
Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
It subsequently received information about GTAA’s plans for summer 2023 and similarly designed this coming summer’s schedule to meet those parameters.
It is Air Canada’s policy to work with its industry partners to meet the requirements of airports and other third parties to drive operational improvements and support the smooth running of Canada’s air transport system.
This includes, as in this case, adapting its schedule as required to ensure operational stability, and is a normal process.”
About Toronto Pearson International Airport
Toronto Pearson International Airport is the largest and busiest airport in Canada, located in Mississauga, Ontario.
It serves as the primary hub for Air Canada and a secondary hub for WestJet. It handles over 50 million passengers annually, with flights to and from over 180 destinations worldwide.
The airport has two main terminals, Terminal 1 and Terminal 3, which are connected by a pedestrian walkway and an automated train called the Terminal Link.
Terminal 1 primarily serves Air Canada and its Star Alliance partners, while Terminal 3 serves other airlines.
Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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