Long Customs Wait Times Could Impact Travellers at Toronto Pearson Airport
A sudden outage at Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) primary inspection kiosks has led to long customs lines at Toronto Pearson Airport. The interruption hit terminals 1 and 3 and forced officers to switch to manual processing. That slowed flows and left many travellers stuck in longer-than-normal queues.
This story explains what happened, how travellers reacted, and what to do if you’re heading through Toronto Pearson Airport this week.
Toronto Pearson Airport: What caused the delays
The technical outage
CBSA’s self-serve primary inspection kiosks in terminals 1 and 3 experienced a service interruption. The kiosks are the machines that many arriving passengers use to scan passports and answer customs questions. When kiosks fail, officers must manually process arrivals. That adds time for each passenger and creates bottlenecks. The agency said it was “working with partners on fixing the issue” and apologized for the inconvenience.
Scope and timing
The outage affected Pearson and other airports the CBSA serves, causing lengthy waits for thousands of travellers on a busy travel day. Airport officials had already anticipated lighter traffic because travel was entering the shoulder season, but the kiosk outage still caused noticeable disruption.
Why are customs delays happening at Toronto Pearson Airport?
A CBSA kiosk outage in terminals 1 and 3 forced agents to move from automated kiosks to manual checks, slowing processing and creating long lines.
Toronto Pearson Airport: passenger experiences and social reaction
Reports from travellers
Passengers posted photos and messages about long lines, crowded processing areas, and delayed connections. Airports and travel sites encouraged flyers to expect longer waits and to allow extra time for customs. Local coverage captured the frustration of people worried about missed flights and stress at crowded terminals.
Social media and eyewitness posts
Several travellers shared live updates on social platforms while stuck in queues. The social posts show long lines and crowded areas near arrivals. For first-time visitors and connecting passengers, that kind of delay can mean missed connections and added travel costs. (For real-time traveller posts, see the public tweets and social links referenced in coverage and local updates.
Toronto Pearson Airport: impacts on flights and connections
Missed connections and stress
Long customs waits ripple through the travel system. Passengers delayed at customs may miss domestic or international connections. That creates workload for airline agents, who must rebook passengers and find space on later flights. For people on tight schedules, business travellers, or those with ground transport booked, the impact can be severe.
Operational strain
Airlines and airport staff also feel the pressure. When arrivals trail, gate turnarounds, baggage handling, and departure timing can become less efficient. Even a short outage can cascade into delays across several flights and terminals.
Toronto Pearson Airport: government and CBSA response
Official statement
CBSA acknowledged the outage and said it was working with partners to fix the kiosks. The agency apologized for the inconvenience and thanked travellers for their patience. Local airport officials echoed the advisory to expect longer-than-normal wait times while systems were down.
What authorities can do
When kiosks go offline, CBSA can deploy extra officers to manual lanes and coordinate with airlines to help customers. However, manual processing is slower by design and cannot fully replace kiosk throughput until systems are restored. Officials usually prioritize arrivals with tight connections and visibly urgent cases, but general flows still slow.
How long are passengers waiting at Toronto Pearson Airport?
Wait times vary, but reports described longer-than-normal queues after the kiosk outage. Times can range from modest extra waits to hours when traffic spikes or staffing is limited.
Toronto Pearson Airport: broader context and pre-clearance concerns
Pre-clearance and infrastructure
The situation highlights how reliant major airports are on automated systems. CBSA kiosks speed processing under normal conditions. When tech fails, the fallback is slower. The incident also feeds broader debate about staffing, maintenance, and the resilience of pre-clearance and automated systems at busy international hubs.
Shoulder season and staffing
Airport officials noted they were entering shoulder season after summer travel peaks. Lower staffing or fewer reserve officers during shoulder weeks can reduce the buffer when outages occur. That can magnify the impact of a single technical failure.
Practical advice for travellers at Toronto Pearson Airport
If you’re arriving soon
- Allow extra time. Expect longer processing and possible queues.
- Keep documents ready. Have passports and customs forms accessible to speed processing.
- Communicate with your airline if you have tight connections; they may be able to help.
- Monitor official channels. Check CBSA social updates and airport notices for real-time info.
If you’re departing
- Arrive earlier than usual. Security and check-in can slow down if the arrivals backlog at the terminal.
- Stay updated via airport alerts and your airline’s app. Many carriers will rebook passengers who miss connections due to airport delays.
Toronto Pearson Airport: what to watch next
Fix timeline and follow-up
CBSA said it was working on a fix. Travellers should expect updates from CBSA and Toronto Pearson’s official channels. If kiosks are brought back online quickly, normal flows will resume. If not, expect extended manual processing until systems are restored.
Policy questions
The outage may prompt reviews of system redundancy, staffing reserves, and contingency protocols for future failures. Airports and border agencies often evaluate incidents like this to reduce the chance of repeat events. Communities and frequent flyers will watch to see what changes are made.
Why are customs delays happening at Toronto Pearson Airport?
A CBSA kiosk outage forced officers to process arrivals manually, slowing throughput and creating longer queues.
Will airlines rebook passengers who miss connections?
Yes, airlines typically rebook passengers when delays are caused by airport disruptions, but policies and immediate availability vary. Check with your carrier.
How can I get live updates?
Follow CBSA and Toronto Pearson social channels and your airline’s app for the fastest official updates and rebooking options.
Conclusion
The CBSA kiosk outage at Toronto Pearson Airport shows how a single technical fault can ripple through a major hub. The result was long customs waits, stressed travellers, and questions about resilience.
CBSA has said it is working with partners to fix the issue, and passengers should watch official channels and allow extra time. For now, travellers and airlines are managing the fallout as systems are repaired.
FAQ’S
You can speed up customs at Toronto Pearson Airport by using Advance CBSA Declaration, NEXUS lanes, or arriving outside peak hours. Having documents ready also helps.
Wait times vary by day and time, but security at Toronto Pearson Airport usually takes 20 to 45 minutes, with longer waits during peak travel hours.
Toronto Pearson Airport is busiest in the early morning (6–9 a.m.) and late afternoon (3–7 p.m.), when most international flights depart.
Yes, international flights from Toronto Pearson Airport require passengers to go through customs, either upon arrival in Canada or at U.S. pre-clearance facilities.
The fastest way is to enroll in the NEXUS program, which offers dedicated lanes and kiosks at major Canadian airports, including Toronto Pearson Airport.
Travellers can bring up to CAD $10,000 without declaring. For duty-free, the limit depends on your absence length (e.g., 48 hours = $800 worth of goods).
Disclaimer
This is for information only, not financial advice. Always do your research.
