No quick fix for long security lines at YVR, airport says | The Canadian News

Air travelers departing from Vancouver International Airport (YVR) are told to arrive early and be ready for long waits.

Airport administrators say the problem is related to delays at security checkpoints, caused by a shortage of federal officers from the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA).

“I’ve been in aviation for over 20 years… without a doubt, the delays we experienced this past week have never been experienced before,” Mike McNaney, director of external affairs at YVR, told Global News.

Passengers are told to arrive at least two hours early for a domestic flight and three hours early for an international flight.

McNaney said the problem began to reveal itself in early April as air traffic began to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

But he said the airport authority is limited in what it can do, since it has no control over security screening.

Airport staff are doing their best to move people to the front of the line if their flight leaves early or to direct people to other security checkpoints if a line is moving particularly slowly.

“The obligation that we now see for CATSA management is to provide a plan for how they will handle staffing shortages,” he said.

trending stories

• 

  Naomi Judd, Grammy-winning singer, dies at 76

• 

  Why a Southern Alberta First Nation turned off the faucet for hundreds of area farmers

“The equipment is there, the lanes are there, but not all of them are being operated.”

In a statement, CATSA said it hoped to have new detection officer recruits ready for YVR “within the next few weeks.”

Crown Corporation said there were several factors affecting security checkpoint wait times, including more passengers opting to travel with carry-on luggage and changes in passenger flows.

“Prior to the pandemic, resources could be used more efficiently cross-border and domestic and international checkpoints due to staggered passenger peaks,” the statement read.

“As air travel recovers, we are seeing simultaneous spikes, which can result in passengers flooding more than one security checkpoint at a time, making redeploying resources to address these passenger volumes difficult. more challenging. ”

In the meantime, McNaney said people need to be patient, particularly with security personnel who are not responsible for the staff situation.

He said people can also help speed things up by being ready for screening at checkpoints with metal objects removed from their person and liquids and gels removed from their bags.