Passengers stuck in security line at Toronto Pearson due to door error

Delays and heavy crowds are being reported at Toronto Pearson’s Terminal 1 transborder hall after arriving passengers were apparently led through the wrong door.

According to a tweet posted to X by Toronto Pearson on Thursday morning (Nov. 9), passengers are holding due to an apparent error made by airport staff.  

“We will update as information becomes available,” the airport wrote in a post on X.

One man named “Cliff Burgess” posting to X said processing at U.S. customs stopped after unauthorized people arriving on a domestic flight were allowed beyond customs control.

“Pearson airport might want to open this door…,” he wrote, posting a photo of a congested hallway.

According to Toronto Pearson's website, several flights scheduled for the morning have been delayed.

Flights resuming

In an update posted at 10:23 a.m. EST, the airport said the disruption was caused by a ground handler contacted to an airline, "who directed domestic passengers to an area of screened transborder passengers." 

"USCBP has now restarted pre-clearance processing, and transborder flights are resuming," Toronto Pearson wrote. 

Air Canada, meanwhile, is reminding passengers that the delay isn't their fault and for customers to check the status of their flights. 

"A security breach at YYZ by a groundhandler unrelated to Air Canada is affecting flights to/from the US. Customers travelling transborder today should check flight status," the airline wrote on X at 12:32 p.m. EST. 

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