An Air Canada Boeing 737 MAX 8 from San Francisco approaches for landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport above a parked Air Canada Boeing 737 MAX 8 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on March 13, 2019. REUTERS/Chris Helgren

MONTREAL, May 5 (Reuters) – Staff shortages that led to long lines this week at some of Canada’s biggest airports could see some improvement by the crucial summer travel season, an official said. Of the industry.

Monette Pasher, acting president of the Canadian Airports Council (CAC), said Wednesday that she was optimistic that recent recruitment efforts by the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA), which screens passengers, baggage and airport workers, could help reduce delays by summer, although there are no guarantees.

“We’re probably going to see longer lines than before COVID, but it should be better,” Pasher said in an interview.

Rising travel demand, combined with staff shortages after a pandemic-driven crisis has left airports from Europe to Canada struggling with delays in recent weeks. Read more

Canada, which recently eased travel restrictions, faced long queues at airports in Toronto and Vancouver this week.

Pasher said she expects domestic airline seat capacity for June and July to be around 95% of 2019 levels for the same months, although actual passenger numbers may be lower.

On Monday, passengers complained of long lines at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, the country’s busiest.

“It’s an absolute gong show through security,” Canadian Member of Parliament Matthew Green said on Twitter of the long queue for his morning flight from Toronto to Ottawa.

WestJet Airlines, the country’s second-largest carrier, said it was concerned about the state of service, “given the rapid increase in the number of guests returning to travel this summer.”

CATSA said in a statement that new recruits are joining teams at airports across the country every week and that it is working with partners to improve the situation.

Staffing levels at both CATSA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, as well as health screenings of some international arrivals, are creating challenges, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) said. , which manages Pearson.

“To avoid severe passenger congestion, airport and airline staff are forced to hold passengers on planes and deliberately measure the flow of travelers arriving at the customs hall,” he said. Wednesday.

Air Canada (AC.TO) was unavailable for comment.

“As the airline industry continues to recover, staffing remains an issue that the industry is working to resolve as quickly as possible,” the Department of Transportation office said in a statement.

Reporting By Allison Lampert in Montreal; Editing by Aurora Ellis

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