In a statement, YVR attributed the delays to “significant and unexpected staff shortages” faced by the security screening provider contracted by the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA), the federal Crown corporation responsible for all passenger security screening. CATSA outsources security services at various airports to third-party employers, such as Allied Universal at YVR.
Passengers continue to be processed through security screening but face longer than normal wait times at pre-boarding checkpoints for domestic and international departures, the airport authority said.
Video posted on social media shows a long line at a security checkpoint for departures from the US.
WATCHES | Passengers wait in long security lines at Vancouver Airport:
Line up and wait: Lack of screening personnel at Vancouver International Airport creates long delays for travelers
Vancouver International Airport says passengers faced longer-than-normal wait times Sunday at pre-boarding checkpoints for domestic and international departures due to “significant and unexpected staffing shortages” by the Canadian Aviation Security Authority (CATSA). The airport said extra staff had been added to assist travelers and support security screening staff and thanked passengers for their patience. It advised passengers to arrive at YVR three hours before departure until further notice. It also said there were flight delays and passengers should check their flight status with their airline. The airport said there was no significant increase in passenger numbers on Sunday. The airport has averaged 67,000 passengers a day this week, with 69,000 expected on Sunday. “This is not the experience we want people to have at YVR, and we apologize,” the statement said. In a statement, CATSA said its service contractor, Allied Universal, was experiencing “high absenteeism” among screening officers at YVR. “We are doing the best we can with the resources available,” the statement said. Security officials held a rally in May demanding better pay and working conditions at Vancouver International Airport. A union spokesman said at the time that many security inspectors who were laid off during the pandemic did not return to work when demand for travel increased. Those who returned faced lower wages and difficult working conditions.
