pearson airport delays

Pearson Airport chaos now has passengers waiting in lines for longer than their flights

Any hope of Toronto Pearson International Airport getting its act together is quickly evaporating as the air travel hub consistently ranks among the worst worldwide for delays.

Pearson has been under fire for over three months now due to an apparent inability to process passengers and luggage amid an unprecedented surge in air travel, and despite pledges from officials and politicians to get the airport back to full capacity, social media posts reveal it's the same old story at Pearson.

Even in the dead of night, Pearson Airport's Terminal 3 looks like an absolute madhouse.

One passenger posted a video of a customs line at Pearson, claiming, "Im going to spend more time waiting in this line for Customs than my actual flight to NYC. Pearson is the worst."

As bad as Pearson looks, some travellers are finding out that the long lines and delays aren't a guarantee. A lucky Dominican Republic-bound passenger tweeted, "Had absolutely no problems whatsoever, check-in was very fast and so was going through border services."

And even if you arrive early and end up one of the lucky ones, good luck killing those extra hours you had set aside for long lines.

A few have been lucky, but the rest of passengers have been irate about Pearson's travel conditions since the spring, when an uptick in travel and a shortage of Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) staff handling security screening at airports in the country set the stage for the months-long chaos that has persisted into mid-summer.

And as many passengers grumble and rant on social media, others suggest tangible solutions to staffing shortages, like the introduction of self-serve border entry points already in use at other international airports.

It doesn't seem like Pearson will be returning to normal any time soon, and travellers should be packing plenty of patience if the air travel hub is part of their summer travel plans.

Lead photo by

Yildiz Marcelin


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in Travel

Five Ontario cities were just crowned the best in Canada for tourists to explore on foot

This town near Ontario is like a suburban Venice with quaint homes lining canals

Toronto is one step closer to getting a new U.S. border checkpoint

40 breathtaking waterfalls in Ontario you need to see at least once

Air Canada flight lands back at Toronto airport after mid-flight engine issue

Canadians sound off on airline industry as Competition Bureau asks for feedback amid probe

Emergency vehicles meet Toronto flight with 296 passengers on airport runway

Quaint gem of a small town is a gateway to Ontario's most famous provincial park