There have been several updates to Canada's travel rules and it's apparently taking a toll on some travellers going through Toronto Pearson Airport this week.
On December 2, one flyer shared a picture online of long, winding lines at the airport and called Pearson a "total nightmare."
"If you're flying on an international flight, arrive 4 hours in advance. All passengers are queuing in the same line," the Twitter user wrote. "1:35 hrs to drop my bag and 40 min of security. My support to the few staff that are trying to organize the chaos."
@TorontoPearson is a total nightmare. If you're flying on an international flight, arrive 4 hours in advance. All passengers are queuing in the same line. 1:35 hrs to drop my bag and 40 min of security. My support to the few staff that are trying to organize the chaos. #torontopic.twitter.com/pbyCc18uUn— Alejandro Mayoral Banos - Lakgaxixiwa (@Alejandro Mayoral Banos - Lakgaxixiwa) 1638447729
Another Pearson passenger earlier on Thursday morning shared that the lineup for Gate 5 actually started six gates later.
A spokesperson for the Greater Toronto Airport Authority told Narcity mornings are usually busy for departures. That, and "travel today can be more complicated given health requirements both in Canada and abroad."
#aircanada #Pearsonairport Lineupp for gate 5 starts at gate 11... How is this going to work and how was there not more preparation for this?... No ability to upload vaccine online!?! (system asks but it doesn't work)pic.twitter.com/UNyXSB9rQB— Patrick Heffron (@Patrick Heffron) 1638443933
In response to growing concerns about the Omicron variant, the Canadian government introduced travel restrictions for Nigeria, Malawi, Egypt, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho, Namibia, Eswatini, and South Africa.
Among other rules, foreign nationals who have been to any of these countries within the last 14 days will not be allowed into Canada.
On top of that, all travellers (excluding those coming from the U.S.) are required to take a COVID-19 test as soon as they land - regardless of their vaccination status and will have to isolate until they get their results.
"We work collaboratively with airlines and government agencies to process travellers as quickly as possible," Tori Gass, the spokesperson, said.
"At times, passengers are experiencing longer than normal processing times. We continue to recommend passengers arrive three hours ahead of time for international flights and 90 minutes ahead of time for domestic flights."
Pearson Airport has been recommending that travellers plan ahead and arrive earlier for flights since the federal government updated its travel rules to welcome fully vaccinated flyers from across the globe.
This article’s cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
Pearson Airport Says To Arrive Early As Some Passengers Are Experiencing Longer Wait Times
Source: News Article Viral
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