Toronto Airport Plans 56% Passenger Increase by 2020

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TORONTO 000148 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CPAS EAIR PBTS PREL CA SUBJECT: Toronto Airport Plans 56% Passenger Increase by 2020 Sensitive But Unclassified - Please Protect Accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) has expressed concern that staffing at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Preclearance in Toronto will endanger growth plans at Pearson International Airport. GTAA officials complain that 62 new flights were recently denied access to U.S. CBP preclearance facilities at Pearson. GTAA anticipates serving over 49 million passengers a year by 2020, a 56% increase over 2006 total passenger volumes of about 31 million passengers. To handle the anticipated passenger growth, GTAA plans to add a sixth (and final) runway, use the currently moth-balled Infield Terminal to which passengers must be bussed, and further expand the new Terminal 1. GTAA officials plan to move U.S. CBP preclearance facilities in Terminal 1 to a new location that would put U.S. officials behind airport security screening, significantly improving their safety. GTAA is not considering a similar renovation for U.S. CBP preclearance operations in the older Terminal 3 in the next few years. U.S. CBP has suggested GTAA encourage airlines to schedule new U.S.-bound flights during non-peak hours to increase the likelihood of access to preclearance services. GTAA officials and Canadian airline executives hope the U.S. government will provide additional manpower to the U.S. CBP Toronto Pearson Preclearance facility to accommodate the growing passenger loads heading across the border to the U.S. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) GTAA President and CEO Lloyd McCoomb expressed concern to Consul General Nay on April 17 that inadequate staffing at U.S. CBP Preclearance in Toronto is endangering growth plans by Canadian airlines and the GTAA. McCoomb observed that passengers on U.S.-bound flights that cannot be cleared by U.S. CBP in Toronto have to be cleared on arrival in the U.S. Some of these flights, he said, are heading to destinations with very small or remote CBP presences. ¶3. (SBU) GTAA officials complained that U.S. CBP was unable to provide preclearance services to 62 flights coming out of Pearson Airport's older Terminal 3 at Pearson International Airport. We later learned that these flights were all scheduled to depart during peak departure time to the U.S. Toronto CBP Preclearance officials noted that they could have handled the passengers from these flights if they had been rescheduled to depart at other than peak U.S. departure times. The flights included: --Canjet Flt#970 Saturday service to St. Petersburg, FL at 08:30 from April 5-May 17 with a B737 -- 7 flights with 132 seats each denied. --Skyservice Flt #505 Friday service to Orlando, FL at 07:00 from May 2-Sept. 12 with a B752 -- 20 flights with 216 seats each denied. --Skyservice Flt #505 Saturday service to Orlando, FL at 07:45 from May 3-Oct. 25 with a B752 -- 26 flights with 216 seats each denied. --Air Transat Flt#506 Sunday service to Orlando at 06:25 on March 30 with a A313 -- 1 flight with 260 seats denied. --Air Transat Flt#506 Sunday service to Orlando at 13:55 on April 6-April 27 with a A313 -- 4 flights with 260 seats each denied. --Air Transat Flt#758 Friday service to Fort Lauderdale at 06:25 on April 4-April 25 with a A332 -- 4 flights with 362 seats each denied. ¶4. (SBU) GTAA anticipates serving over 49 million passengers a year by 2020, a 56% increase over 2006 total passenger volumes of about 31 million passengers. GTAA estimates that the number of transborder passengers will increase 64% from 8.9 million in 2006 to about 14.6 million in 2020. The number of international passengers is expected to grow 75% to 15 million in 2020, while the number of domestic passengers will grow a more modest 44% to 19.4 million in the same year. ¶5. (SBU) GTAA officials say they have discussed their long-term growth plans (available at www.gtaa.com/en/gtaa_corporate/ publications/master_plan/) with Toronto-based U.S. CBP officials. To handle the anticipated passenger growth, GTAA plans to add a sixth (and final) runway, use the currently moth-balled Infield Terminal to which passengers must be bussed, and further expand the new Terminal 1. ¶6. (SBU) McCoomb said GTAA plans to move U.S. CBP preclearance facilities in Terminal 1 to a new location that would put U.S. officials behind airport security screening, significantly improving their safety. U.S.-bound passengers currently check in with airlines, then clear U.S. Customs while still carrying their baggage. After leaving customs, passengers drop their bags and then TORONTO 00000148 002 OF 002 clear airport security before proceeding to the gate area for their flight. McCoomb said the GTAA has finished the concept definition of the project, is moving to the design development stage, and is on track to move U.S. CBP to the new location in about five years. The new facility will enable passengers to check their luggage and be screened by airport security before proceeding through the U.S. CBP preclearance facility. Passenger bags will be electronically photographed and tracked and will be retrievable should a U.S. CBP inspector wish to inspect the baggage before admitting a passenger. McCoomb admitted that a similar renovation for U.S. CBP preclearance operations in Terminal 3 is not anticipated in anytime soon (i.e. well beyond the five year planning horizon). ¶7. (SBU) Comment: U.S. CBP officials are encouraging Toronto-based airlines to continue to apply for preclearance services for new flights and plans to service new flights whenever possible. U.S. CBP has suggested the GTAA promote the scheduling of new U.S.-bound flights during non-peak hours to increase the likelihood of approval. GTAA officials and Canadian airline executives hope the U.S. government will also provide additional manpower to the Toronto Pearson Preclearance facility to accommodate the growing passenger loads heading across the border to the U.S. The fact that CBP has been unable to provide pre-clearance to U.S.-bound flights departing during peak hours raises serious concerns for the GTAA and affected air carriers, given their growth projections. They hope that trusted traveler programs like NEXUS will help increase U.S. CBP capacity, and recognize that more diffuse departure times will help, but believe that additional U.S. official manpower will be required to manage the growing passenger loads. End Comment. NAY