On 08MAY, President and CEO of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), Deborah Flint, announced measures that YYZ is implementing to support a seamless passenger experience during the summer travel rush.
"Our new approaches include more resources, transparency, and resiliency planning; as we are excited to welcome passengers for a robust summer travel in our improved airport environment," said Flint.
Enhancements through Digital Innovations, Transparency, and Staffing
In response to the challenges encountered last summer due to the sudden resurgence of air travel following pandemic restrictions, YYZ has initiated a series of improvements, technological advancements, and staffing increases.
The airport has fast-tracked its modernization plans by investing in technologies that is already helping passengers navigate the airport more easily and more quickly. Innovations and processes that will help smooth the travel experience at YYZ for Summer 2023 include:
- 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 our terminals.
- Baggage:
- An upgraded baggage system featuring AI that anticipates overloading and detects potential breakdowns before they occur.
- Capturing data and pushing accountability with airlines and their ground handlers on proper training and staffing availability. Better staffing will reduce baggage recirculation, maintain baggage system capacity, prevent bag jams and reduce related delays at check-in and departure.
- Creating a resource pool of employees and contracted staff who would be available to move bags by hand during irregular operations.
- Staffing: Bolstering staffing in critical areas such as bussing, baggage handling, and terminal operations. Last week, the GTAA the announced the hiring of 130 team members.
- 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 is intended to give GTAA 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 agency checkpoints in the terminal and on our website. This is intended to give passengers better live information and a clear understanding of what to expect.
- Slot assignments: Proactively managing the volume of flights coming into YYZ with partners on an hourly basis to ensure that the airport ecosystem is capable of receiving and processing these incoming passengers.
- Airline planning: Asking airlines and their service providers to verify staffing and operational plans for regular and irregular operations. This is intended to reduce staffing-related Air Traffic Management Initiatives (A-TMIs), disruptions, delays, and missed connections, and help ensure that they can deliver their summer 2023 schedules.
- 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. The GTAA is asking for corrective action plans in areas where performance does not meet acceptable standards.
- 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.
- 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.
Statement on Federal Budget
The GTAA says it was pleased to see the changes introduced in the recent federal budget, in particular improved data sharing, CATSA funding and border modernization.
The GTAA added the federal government can also help smooth the passenger experience this summer by implementing a trusted traveller program and helping the airport gain additional US-customers pre-clearance agents to reduce wait times.
