Recently, travelers at Toronto Pearson International Airport faced significant delays due to an outage of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) kiosks. This incident marked the second such outage within the week, amplifying concerns about wait times at airports nationwide.
Details of the CBSA Kiosk Outage
The outage began on Thursday morning, precisely at 10:20 a.m. According to a CBSA spokesperson, the issue was resolved shortly before 2 p.m. Although normal operations resumed, travelers were still cautioned to expect longer-than-usual wait times.
Spread of the Outage
- The outage affected several Canadian airports, extending from Vancouver to Montreal.
- Specific details on which airports were impacted were not disclosed.
- Passengers at Pearson experienced delays in terminals one and three.
Temporary Measures Implemented
To manage the situation, travelers were redirected to primary inspection lines for manual processing. Despite the challenges, safety and security protocols remained a top priority. Border services officers verified identities, processed declarations, and conducted necessary screenings for passengers.
Previous Issues and Response
This outage followed an earlier incident earlier in the week. On Sunday, a similar technical failure during routine maintenance led to considerable delays. Travelers checking in for Canada-bound flights faced additional hurdles, with airline staff needing to verify passports directly with Canadian authorities.
In a statement shared via social media, the CBSA expressed appreciation for the public’s patience during these inconveniences. They are actively investigating both outages but have not determined a definitive cause at this time.
