Transport Minister Omar Alghabra has told the House of Commons transport committee that COVID-19 is to blame for airport delays.
The minister says Canadians have witnessed significant disruptions in the economy because of the pandemic and that the government is working on tackling those issues.Alghabra, who recently tested positive for COVID-19, appeared via video conference along with a number of other officials.
Last month, due to a glitch, ArriveCan instructed about 10,200 travellers to quarantine for 10 days when they didn’t have to. Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman asked Alghabra if the federal government bears any responsibility for the delays at airports that have wreaked havoc on travellers for months.Airlines and airports have been grappling with a surge in customers this summer, compounded by staffing shortages affecting both carriers and federal agencies.
Alghabra said part of the reason Canadian airports have been especially affected by delays is a sharp increase in demand. He said travel surged by 252 per cent between January and August, compared with 63 per cent in the United States.Sign up for our newsletter to get breaking news and daily digests sent to your email.Some experts have pointed to airlines overbooking flights as being responsible for delays.