The busy summer travel season is coming. Is Toronto Pearson airport (YYZ) ready for the rush?The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) has unveiled some new measures to support a seamless passenger experience this summer. Digital innovations + staffing In response to last summer’s challenges, Pearson has implemented technological upgrades, and staffing increases to enhance efficiency. The airport has fast-tracked its modernization plans by investing in technologies, many of which have already been implemented. - This includes self-service infrastructure:
- Contactless check-in and boarding processes;
- A new partnership with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to deploy biometric e-gates, expediting customs clearance for travellers;
- New digital technology at check-in, gates and baggage areas to replace the current generation of self-service tech as it nears the end of its life.
- YYZ Express: Expanding hours for pre-booking spaces in security lines and putting it into service at every security screening point.
- Digital mapping: Deploying enhanced digital mapping tools to empower travellers with better information as they navigate the terminals.
Baggage - An upgraded baggage system featuring AI that anticipates overloading and detects potential breakdowns before they occur. Staffing - Bolstering staffing in critical areas such as bussing, baggage handling, and terminal operations. Real-time analysis - Deploying a new customer-experience platform and dashboard that will provide real-time analysis and insights on key customer sentiment metrics. This aims to give staff better insights, flag issues for airline partners and address service issues faster. Real-time confidence - Installing new sensors and pulling screening data to post wait times for all checkpoints in the terminal and on their website. This will give passengers better live information and a clear understanding of what to expect. Slot assignments - Managing the volume of flights coming into Toronto Pearson with partners on an hourly basis to ensure that the airport ecosystem is capable of receiving and processing these incoming passengers in a timely and efficient way. On-time performance - Meeting with airlines and their ground handlers and monitoring performance in areas such as check-in, baggage delivery, gate holds, no-crew events and overall staffing levels. Aircraft parking - Limiting non-authorized aircraft parking beyond 12 hours. More availability will mean fewer arrival gate holds, better on-time performance and increased resilience in irregular operations. The GTAA says the enhancements have “already yielded tangible results,” significantly improving the passenger experience. |
