Pearson taking steps to limit flights during March Break, summer months

Toronto Pearson International Airport is taking steps to limit the number of planes that take off and land during the upcoming peak travel season.

The Greater Toronto Airports Authority is putting a hard cap on flights in and out of Pearson during peak travel times and limiting the amount of international travellers at the airport.

The move is an attempt to reduce the level of chaos that was seen at the country’s busiest airport last year.

“The GTAA has taken decisive measures designed to flatten peak-hour schedules for the March Break and the upcoming summer season,” reads a release from the airport operator. “These include hard limits on the number of commercial flights that can arrive or depart in any given hour.”

The airport will also put limits on the number of passengers in a given hour that arrive at each terminal internationally, and depart for the United States.

“These slot measures strike a balance between airline requests and the capabilities of the entities across the entire airport ecosystem,” says the GTAA.

There is no official word on the number of flights that will be cut, or if any flights that have already been booked will be impacted. Air Canada and WestJet have both made adjustments to their flight schedule.

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The airport says an independent company was also brought in to look at the baggage system with a goal of the review being finished by this spring. The airport intends to increase baggage storage and is working with AI technology at gates that can alert handlers and help reduce delays.

In July, the airport announced a new digital tool aimed at helping passengers navigate through the current strained air transportation system.

Last year, post-pandemic issues led to widespread flight cancellations, baggage delays and lengthy lineups at major airports across Canada, with Pearson the hardest hit by these problems.

The airport also grappled with a significant staffing shortage as it struggled to acclimate to the return of regular travel demands following two summers of COVID restrictions.

A report released last summer from a flight tracking website ranked Pearson airport as the world’s worst airport for delayed flights. On some days, the airport saw more than half of its flight departures delayed.