toronto airport

The airport in Toronto is now almost completely empty

Air travel has been reduced to a minimum globally as countries around the world initiate bans on any non-essential trips to curb COVID-19. 

At Pearson Airport in Toronto, you can see how precautionary measures for coronavirus have impacted the travel industry: Canada's largest and busiest airport is now almost completely empty. 

Baggage claim has become a near-ghost town. And while border security was once pure pandemonium two weeks ago, it's become eerily quiet in the rest of the airport.

Prior to the global pandemic, Pearson's numbers were on the up and up: 2019 saw an increase of 1 million passengers from the year before.

Just earlier this month, the airport was given the Airports Council International World accolade of "Best Large Airport in North America serving more than 40 million passengers". 

Last year, the daily average of departures numbered at around 1,250 daily, travelling to more than 180 destinations worlwide.

According the latest numbers, departures today have dropped to just 166 flights.  Same goes for arrivals: as of April 1, the number has dropped to a devastatingly low 178. 

Pearson's latest stats show that around 33 per cent of their departing flights have been cancelled, as have around 29 per cent of their arrivals. 

While the airport is playing a crucial part in the the delivery chain, like cargo operations to supply businesses and frontline workers, and the operating of Ontario's emergency service Ornge, transporting people has gone down to a minimum. 

For those passengers arriving back in Toronto on an international flight, they'll have to self-isolate (properly, for god's sake) for the government-mandated length of 14 days. That doesn't apply for domestic flights. 

Lead photo by

b.m.a.n.


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in City

What's open and closed on Victoria Day 2024 in Toronto

The breathtaking Mast Trail in Toronto follows a 200-year-old logging route

Moore Park Ravine is an escape from the city in midtown Toronto

The history of what was once Toronto's grandest mansion

This is how Toronto celebrated Victoria Day over 100 years ago

You can take in breathtaking valley views along the Vista Rouge Trail in Toronto

Downsview Park in Toronto is a massive urban park around an artificial lake

Canada is seeing one of the worst standard-of-living declines in 40 years