Half a million passengers faced delays on international flights at Toronto Pearson Airport in May

TORONTO — Practically half one million passengers had been held up after arriving aboard worldwide flights at Toronto’s Pearson airport final month.

The Higher Toronto Airports Authority says 490,810 travellers in Might, or about half of all arrivals from overseas, confronted delays as they had been held inside their planes on the tarmac or confronted staggered off-loading to ease strain on overflowing customs areas.

In whole, some 2,700 flights arriving from outdoors the nation had been delayed at Pearson final month, versus 4 planes — and some hundred passengers — in Might 2019.

Scenes of infinite safety and customs queues at massive Canadian airports have performed out all spring, with peak journey season nonetheless weeks away.

Hurdles starting from airport staffing shortages to COVID-19 well being measures threaten to cascade into an issue that overmatches efforts to empty clogged terminals.

The federal authorities has pledged to rent a whole bunch extra safety screening officers, with Transport Canada additionally making a committee made up of presidency businesses and trade stakeholders to handle bottlenecks at safety checkpoints.

4:35Can we nonetheless want COVID-19 measures at Canadian airports?