Transport Minister Omar Alghabra told the House of Commons transport committee that the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting labor shortages are responsible for significant wait times at Canada’s airports and said the ArriveCAN app is here to stay. While Alghabra’s office said the situation has been improving in recent weeks, significant delays and cancellations have plagued Canadian airports for months — even resulting in Toronto’s Pearson Airport being named the world’s worst airport for flight delays. Testifying remotely while in quarantine after contracting COVID-19, Alghabra said there was “still work to be done” but listed hiring more staff and moving random mandatory testing for COVID-19 off-site from airports , as the government has tried to reduce bottlenecks at airports. “I want to be clear, this is not an excuse, but it is a fact,” he said, explaining that demand for travel increased more than expected. During Alghabra’s hour-long testimony, opposition members of the committee grilled the minister on the causes of the delays, who is to blame, and the treatment of air passengers, which NDP MP Taylor Bachrach called “disgraceful.” Conservative transport critic Melissa Lantsman called it “disappointing” that Alghabra’s appearance before the committee lasted just one hour amid the busy summer travel season. He also called the delays, specifically at Pearson Airport, “an international disgrace.” When Lantsman asked if the government bears any responsibility for the delays, Alghabra replied that he “blames it on COVID.” Lantsman later said she was “not getting any kind of response” to her questions, before turning to the debate about the oft-criticized ArriveCAN app and why the government is keeping it. “ArriveCAN is not contributing to congestion,” Alghabra replied. “In fact, ArriveCAN is a useful tool to help verify a person’s vaccination status before they reach our border.” The transportation committee is also hearing from the Department of Transportation, the Canadian Aviation Security Authority, Canada Border Services Agency and Public Health Canada.
title: “Airport Delays Transport Minister Blames Pandemic Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-17” author: “Bruce Williams”
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra told the House of Commons transport committee that the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting labor shortages are responsible for significant wait times at Canada’s airports and said the ArriveCAN app is here to stay. While Alghabra’s office said the situation has been improving in recent weeks, significant delays and cancellations have plagued Canadian airports for months — even resulting in Toronto’s Pearson Airport being named the world’s worst airport for flight delays. Testifying remotely while in quarantine after contracting COVID-19, Alghabra said there was “still work to be done” but listed hiring more staff and moving random mandatory testing for COVID-19 off-site from airports , as the government has tried to reduce bottlenecks at airports. “I want to be clear, this is not an excuse, but it is a fact,” he said, explaining that demand for travel increased more than expected. During Alghabra’s hour-long testimony, opposition members of the committee grilled the minister on the causes of the delays, who is to blame, and the treatment of air passengers, which NDP MP Taylor Bachrach called “disgraceful.” Conservative transport critic Melissa Lantsman called it “disappointing” that Alghabra’s appearance before the committee lasted just one hour amid the busy summer travel season. He also called the delays, specifically at Pearson Airport, “an international disgrace.” When Lantsman asked if the government bears any responsibility for the delays, Alghabra replied that he “blames it on COVID.” Lantsman later said she was “not getting any kind of response” to her questions, before turning to the debate about the oft-criticized ArriveCAN app and why the government is keeping it. “ArriveCAN is not contributing to congestion,” Alghabra replied. “In fact, ArriveCAN is a useful tool to help verify a person’s vaccination status before they reach our border.” The transportation committee is also hearing from the Department of Transportation, the Canadian Aviation Security Authority, Canada Border Services Agency and Public Health Canada.
title: “Airport Delays Transport Minister Blames Pandemic Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-01” author: “Diane Morrow”
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra told the House of Commons transport committee that the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting labor shortages are responsible for significant wait times at Canada’s airports and said the ArriveCAN app is here to stay. While Alghabra’s office said the situation has been improving in recent weeks, significant delays and cancellations have plagued Canadian airports for months — even resulting in Toronto’s Pearson Airport being named the world’s worst airport for flight delays. Testifying remotely while in quarantine after contracting COVID-19, Alghabra said there was “still work to be done” but listed hiring more staff and moving random mandatory testing for COVID-19 off-site from airports , as the government has tried to reduce bottlenecks at airports. “I want to be clear, this is not an excuse, but it is a fact,” he said, explaining that demand for travel increased more than expected. During Alghabra’s hour-long testimony, opposition members of the committee grilled the minister on the causes of the delays, who is to blame, and the treatment of air passengers, which NDP MP Taylor Bachrach called “disgraceful.” Conservative transport critic Melissa Lantsman called it “disappointing” that Alghabra’s appearance before the committee lasted just one hour amid the busy summer travel season. He also called the delays, specifically at Pearson Airport, “an international disgrace.” When Lantsman asked if the government bears any responsibility for the delays, Alghabra replied that he “blames it on COVID.” Lantsman later said she was “not getting any kind of response” to her questions, before turning to the debate about the oft-criticized ArriveCAN app and why the government is keeping it. “ArriveCAN is not contributing to congestion,” Alghabra replied. “In fact, ArriveCAN is a useful tool to help verify a person’s vaccination status before they reach our border.” The transportation committee is also hearing from the Department of Transportation, the Canadian Aviation Security Authority, Canada Border Services Agency and Public Health Canada.
title: “Airport Delays Transport Minister Blames Pandemic Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-28” author: “Linda Santarpia”
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra told the House of Commons transport committee that the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting labor shortages are responsible for significant wait times at Canada’s airports and said the ArriveCAN app is here to stay. While Alghabra’s office said the situation has been improving in recent weeks, significant delays and cancellations have plagued Canadian airports for months — even resulting in Toronto’s Pearson Airport being named the world’s worst airport for flight delays. Testifying remotely while in quarantine after contracting COVID-19, Alghabra said there was “still work to be done” but listed hiring more staff and moving random mandatory testing for COVID-19 off-site from airports , as the government has tried to reduce bottlenecks at airports. “I want to be clear, this is not an excuse, but it is a fact,” he said, explaining that demand for travel increased more than expected. During Alghabra’s hour-long testimony, opposition members of the committee grilled the minister on the causes of the delays, who is to blame, and the treatment of air passengers, which NDP MP Taylor Bachrach called “disgraceful.” Conservative transport critic Melissa Lantsman called it “disappointing” that Alghabra’s appearance before the committee lasted just one hour amid the busy summer travel season. He also called the delays, specifically at Pearson Airport, “an international disgrace.” When Lantsman asked if the government bears any responsibility for the delays, Alghabra replied that he “blames it on COVID.” Lantsman later said she was “not getting any kind of response” to her questions, before turning to the debate about the oft-criticized ArriveCAN app and why the government is keeping it. “ArriveCAN is not contributing to congestion,” Alghabra replied. “In fact, ArriveCAN is a useful tool to help verify a person’s vaccination status before they reach our border.” The transportation committee is also hearing from the Department of Transportation, the Canadian Aviation Security Authority, Canada Border Services Agency and Public Health Canada.
