Toronto’s Pearson airport expects busiest day on record

Travelling today? So is everyone else. Toronto’s Pearson International Airport says it expects today to break its record for the busiest day of the year.

The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) said an estimated 166,900 passengers will travel through Pearson’s terminals on Friday, Aug. 24.

“Today is actually the busiest day on record at Toronto Pearson,” said Natalie Moncur, communications adviser for GTAA, adding that officials will be able to confirm if the record has been broken at a later date.

She said that family vacations and trips ahead of the start of the school year make this a very busy time to travel.

“It really has to do with the summer travel season,” she said.

Traffic has also increased overall. On average, about 155,000 people are travelling through Pearson each day this summer, and the number of passengers is up six per cent compared to the first half of last year.

Moncur said the increase reflects a wider trend among international airports.

“I think more of the world is really opening up and people are looking to get out and explore, and obviously, a lot of that also has to do with business and trade,” she said.

The airport is encouraging passengers to take steps to make their journey run smoothly, including checking in ahead of time and reserving a parking spot online.

“Probably the most important thing is to check your flight before you leave home to make sure that the schedule hasn’t changed and you won’t be showing up too early, or that you’re in fact giving yourself the amount of time that you need once you get here to pass through security,” Moncur said.

Moncur said travellers can also save some time by using the Canada Border Services Agency app that allows you to complete an electronic customs declaration form.