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Toronto Pearson International Airport expects as many as 171,000 passengers per day this holiday season, says spokesperson Sean Davidson.
Between Dec. 17 and Jan. 5, about 3.2 million travellers are expected to pass through Pearson’s terminals. Many are either travelling domestically or heading south for the holidays, Davidson says.
Regardless of the destination, Davidson recommends travellers give themselves lots of time to navigate the airport: three hours before departure for international flights or two hours for domestic flights.
Passengers should check restrictions for carry-on baggage ahead of time, says Matthew Blanche, terminal manager for the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority. When in doubt, he says, put it in a checked bag. Restrictions include:
- Liquids, gels and aerosols — including things like peanut butter — must be under 100 milliliters and all containers together must fit in a one-litre bag.
- Granular material — like the pellet filling of a stuffed animal — must be under 350 milliliters (about the volume of a soda can).
- Duty-free purchases must go in a designated duty-free bag.
Additionally, each airline has unique restrictions on the size, weight and number of bags.
For those arriving in Canada, border services officer Tamara Lopez encourages travellers to have their passport, documents and receipts in hand when approaching customs. She also advises:
- Use the ArriveCAN app to make customs and immigration declarations ahead of arrival.
- Wait to wrap gifts, because a border officer may unwrap them.
- Don’t cross international borders with cannabis.
- Check personal exemptions on purchases made outside of Canada.
- Determine which food, plant and animal products can be brought into Canada using the automated import reference system.
- Single adults travelling with a child should carry a consent letter from the non-travelling parent.
Eligible travellers headed to the U.S., including American citizens and Canadian tourists on travel visas, can speed up customs pre-clearance by using the Mobile Passport Control app.
