Speaking to CTV’s Question Period, Boissonnault said he was unhappy with reports from Canadians waiting for hours to pass through regular travel checkpoints, especially at Toronto Pearson International Airport. “I will be very raw. I’m not happy with the situation. I do not want Canadians to wait in line. I do not want international travelers stuck on the asphalt. “We have a problem, we need to fix it, and we rely on it hard,” he said. Asked when travelers can expect to travel more easily, the minister said they are working to resolve the situation before the arrival of the summer travel season. “I want to see this happen in a few weeks, not half a year or a year… I want to make sure this summer season is a summer season that people will remember for the experience they just had,” they said. “It is not a negative experience once they are at the airport,” he said. The federal government has sought assurances that the Canadian Border Services and the Canadian Air Safety Authority are stepping up recruitment so they can return to pre-pandemic staffing levels. Individual airlines also said they were working to resolve staffing and scheduling obstacles. However, Air Canada told CTVNews.ca that it intends to operate with 20 percent less capacity this summer compared to its pre-pandemic summer schedule. In a statement issued Wednesday, Ottawa said the vast majority of airports across the country do not experience the same kind of delays as Pearson, but even then, recent improvements have been made. “Only 3 percent of all passengers at Pearson and Vancouver International Airport now stand in line for more than 30 minutes,” the statement said. Opposition parties have demanded that the federal government remove the remaining COVID-19 public health requirements at airports to alleviate what they call unnecessary pressure points. On Friday, Transport Canada announced that it had temporarily suspended mandatory randomized trials at all airports between June 11 and June 30 for those fully vaccinated. Unvaccinated travelers will continue to be screened on the spot. “The Government of Canada recognizes the impact that significant waiting times at some Canadian airports have on travelers. We continue to work with airports, airlines, baggage handlers and other partners to implement solutions to reduce delays as we approach the peak summer . “refers to an announcement of the ministry. From July, all tests, including unvaccinated travelers, will take place off-site. The federal government had already excluded international travelers on a test flight from random tests. Other measures, such as vaccination orders for COVID-19 and mandatory use of the ArriveCAN application, remain in effect. “We recognize that there is still work to be done, especially for international arrivals at our major airports, and we will continue to work with all governments and partners to reduce delays in the travel system,” the government said. With files from CTV News’ Tom Yun.
