Travellers flying out of Toronto Pearson International Airport on Friday will need to plan ahead and gird themselves for what is expected to be the airport’s busiest travel day of the year, according to the Greater Toronto Airports Authority.
More than 170,000 passengers are expected to pass through the airport on Friday, breaking last year’s record of more than 160,000 passengers.
The GTAA recommends planning ahead, checking the traffic to the airport, and arriving early to give buffer time for the larger crowds.
For those travelling internationally, an eDeclaration app is available from Canada Border Services Agency, which can help save time when processing through Canadian customs.
The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) also has an app that allows travellers to check wait times at major Canadian airport security screening checkpoints, as well as other information such as what is allowed or not allowed in carry-on and checked baggages.
Feeling overwhelmed about crowds and flying? The GTAA has you covered with a therapy dog program to help calm frayed nerves.
“If you’re an anxious flyer, you don’t really like crowds, St John Ambulance is part of our welcome team here. There’s 13 dogs that will walk up and down in some of the passenger areas and just give people a chance to pet the dogs, chill out a bit,” Robin Smith, GTAA media spokesperson told CTV News.
Pearson is ranked top five among the world’s most connected airports alongside London Heathrow, Chicago O’Hare, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam. The airport, a megahub for international travellers and the biggest gateway for Canadians heading abroad, is expecting a record-breaking 10.7 million passengers between the Canada Day and Labour Day long weekends, the GTAA said.
