A 'Security Incident' At Pearson Airport Left Some Flights Delayed & Here's What Happened

It was described as a low-level security issue.

A security checkpoint at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ).

A security checkpoint at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ).

Editor

A security incident at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) left some flights delayed on Thursday morning.

Problems were first reported by some frustrated passengers on Twitter shortly after 8:30 a.m., which resulted in the airport responding to them to confirm what had happened.

"We are currently with a security incident," Pearson Airport wrote in a Tweet. "Operations will resume very shortly."

The Tweet from Toronto Pearson came in response to a video from one passenger that showed a long lineup of passengers stretching through a section of the terminal.

"At this rate people will miss their flights," @hetalkara wrote.

Another clearly frustrated passenger had Tweeted at Pearson Airport asking, "Why can’t flights depart? I’ve been sitting on the tarmac for 2 hours in this boiling hot plane."

In a statement to Narcity, the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA) described the security incident as a "containment issue," which is often used to describe situations where a door could be accidentally left open or a full water bottle made its way past airport security.

"The security incident at Terminal 1 has been resolved and normal operations have resumed. We thank passengers for their patience as we put their safety first."

GTAA officials said they would not discuss the matter in further detail, "in order to protect the safety and security of our airport, passengers, and employees."

They did confirm this all lasted for 18 minutes, and said the issue was "resolved quickly."

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

  • Editor

    Stuart McGinn (he/him) was an Editor at Narcity Media. He spent nearly a decade working in radio broadcast journalism before joining the team, covering everything from breaking news to financial markets and sports. Since starting his career in his hometown of Ottawa after attending Algonquin College, Stuart has spent time working in our nation's capital, in Kitchener-Waterloo and in Toronto. If he's not out walking his dog Walter, there's a good chance he's running to train for his next marathon.

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