The majority of Canadians are concerned about the delays plaguing airports, according to a new poll.
A Leger poll conducted between July 8 and 10 with the Association for Canadian Studies (ACS) published in the Canadian Press saw 53% of Canadians concerned about the delays at airports, including cancelled flights and long lines.
As for the biggest cause of those delays, 43% of Canadians blame staffing shortages at the airports and 25% blamed staffing shortages experienced by airlines.
Meanwhile, 18% of Canadians blamed the delays on the Covid-19 restrictions still in place at airports and 4% blamed it on other factors.
The poll also found that 18% of Canadians have significantly modified their summer travel plans due to airport delays, as well as issues with obtaining passports.
Despite the massive delays, the feds recently announced that all existing border restrictions to enter Canada will remain in place until at least Sept. 30.
In addition, the government is still requiring travellers to use the frequently broken ArriveCan app, which forces individuals to upload their vaccine information and travel documents prior to entering Canada.
Many Canadians are eager to travel this summer after two years of strict border restrictions. However, airports are having trouble keeping up with high demands.
In June, the Trudeau government announced a “new task force to improve government services for Canadians,” in an attempt to address the ongoing chaos at Canada’s airports and passport offices.
Despite the newly-created task force, as reported by the Daily Hive, 54% of outbound flights from Toronto Pearson international airport were delayed Monday, making it the airport with the most delayed flights in the world.
Other Canadian airports including Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau international airport and Vancouver’s international airport have also been experiencing delays.
