Pearson Airport Wants Fliers To Know These Things After Travel Rules Change Again

Some major changes are coming up for anyone who is planning to take a trip outside of Canada as travel restrictions are set to ease this month, so why not be fully prepared for the next time you fly out of Toronto Pearson Airport?

The federal government has announced a slew of travel updates, which include scrapping pre-arrival PCR test requirements for fully vaccinated travellers and an end to the global travel advisory.

"We agree that now is the right time to safely remove some of the health measures that have been in place during the pandemic," Tori Gass, a spokesperson from the Greater Toronto Airport Authority, told Narcity via email.

"We thank the government for making these important changes in alignment with recent data and public health metrics, and encourage Canada to establish a plan for the continued removal of requirements and align with other international jurisdictions that removed pre-departure tests for vaccinated travellers."

What should Toronto Pearson travellers be prepared for?

There's a lot to keep in mind for when you travel out of YYZ at the end of February, but all of which should make your next trip go a lot more smoothly.

As of February 28, all unvaccinated children under 12 who are flying with their fully vaccinated parents can skip out on the two-week quarantine period, which means they won't have to miss out on school when they get back from the family vacay.

Even though pre-arrival PCR test requirements will be gone, some fully vaccinated travellers may be randomly selected for arrival testing.

Fully vaccinated travellers won't have to quarantine while they wait for their test results to come back. Travellers will also now be able to use a rapid antigen test or a molecular test to meet pre-entry test requirements.

But, travellers will have to take the rapid test the day before their scheduled flight back to Pearson Airport, or the molecular test no more than 72 hours before takeoff. Rapid antigen tests have to be administered by a lab or healthcare service, and they also need to be authorized in the country they're purchased from.

Planning a trip out of the country will also be a lot smoother, as the feds lifted an advisory that warned Canadians to avoid travelling for non-essential reasons.

What recommendations does Pearson have for fliers when the rules kick in?

"We continue to recommend passengers arrive 90 minutes before a domestic flight and three hours if flying internationally," Gass said.

Pearson Airport has recommended showing up earlier for flights for a while now, ever since Canada loosened its borders to allow entry to fully vaccinated travellers from all over the globe.

Anyone flying through Pearson can also visit the airport's Travel Hub website to stay up to date on everything they need to know beforehand, such as what health measures are in place at the time of travel.

"We will work to support our partners at the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), CBSA and the airlines as these changes to travel restrictions are implemented," Gass said.

Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.