Sunday’s long delays at Vancouver International Airport were “simply awful and a truly brutal experience for our passengers.” That’s how Robyn McVicker, YVR’s vice president of passenger travel, described the long lines travelers experienced on Aug. 28 due to shortages of security screening personnel. YVR discovered around 6:30 a.m. Sunday that several Canadian Aviation Safety Authority screening officers who were scheduled to work did not show up, McVicker explained. CATSA, which manages passenger security screening at Canada’s airports, contracts security services through Allied Universal, a third-party company, at YVR Airport. While staff can “close” work when sick or for other reasons, he added, a “very unexpected number” of workers did not turn up. “It significantly impacted screening and prevented us from opening some checkpoints that were necessary to support the 70,000 passengers that came through YVR yesterday,” McVicker said. Only one domestic checkpoint was open due to lack of CATSA staff, resulting in international travelers being diverted to the domestic checkpoint as well, he added. Controllers at YVR are part of the International Union of Mechanical Engineers and Aerospace Workers. They have held rallies outside YVR airport all summer demanding better pay and less stressful working conditions. IAMAW is at the bargaining table and hopes CATSA will hold Allied Universal who looks like third parties accountable for raising wages and creating a better working environment. Although many travelers arrived early and “did everything they could and recommended”, some passengers missed their flights and had to rebook flights for Monday. McVicker said frontline team members at YVR were giving priority to people with reduced mobility or small babies at the security checkpoint. Food, drink and other support was given to everyone else who waited patiently in line. “The reality was that it was difficult for people who were waiting to get through the screening.” Today’s wait times and line-ups were still affected by the lack of staff from yesterday, however, they are at more “manageable levels” today. YVR is working closely with CATSA, Transport Canada and all agencies to avoid the same “big freaking” delay the airport experienced in April, according to McVicker. But he said it was “super frustrating” to see it happen again. “We are fully working with our partners to ensure there are no further disruptions.”

title: “Sunday S Airport Delays Were Awful Frustrating Yvr Bc News Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-29” author: “Marisa Wilson”

Sunday’s long delays at Vancouver International Airport were “simply awful and a truly brutal experience for our passengers.” That’s how Robyn McVicker, YVR’s vice president of passenger travel, described the long lines travelers experienced on Aug. 28 due to shortages of security screening personnel. YVR discovered around 6:30 a.m. Sunday that several Canadian Aviation Safety Authority screening officers who were scheduled to work did not show up, McVicker explained. CATSA, which manages passenger security screening at Canada’s airports, contracts security services through Allied Universal, a third-party company, at YVR Airport. While staff can “close” work when sick or for other reasons, he added, a “very unexpected number” of workers did not turn up. “It significantly impacted screening and prevented us from opening some checkpoints that were necessary to support the 70,000 passengers that came through YVR yesterday,” McVicker said. Only one domestic checkpoint was open due to lack of CATSA staff, resulting in international travelers being diverted to the domestic checkpoint as well, he added. Controllers at YVR are part of the International Union of Mechanical Engineers and Aerospace Workers. They have held rallies outside YVR airport all summer demanding better pay and less stressful working conditions. IAMAW is at the bargaining table and hopes CATSA will hold Allied Universal who looks like third parties accountable for raising wages and creating a better working environment. Although many travelers arrived early and “did everything they could and recommended”, some passengers missed their flights and had to rebook flights for Monday. McVicker said frontline team members at YVR were giving priority to people with reduced mobility or small babies at the security checkpoint. Food, drink and other support was given to everyone else who waited patiently in line. “The reality was that it was difficult for people who were waiting to get through the screening.” Today’s wait times and line-ups were still affected by the lack of staff from yesterday, however, they are at more “manageable levels” today. YVR is working closely with CATSA, Transport Canada and all agencies to avoid the same “big freaking” delay the airport experienced in April, according to McVicker. But he said it was “super frustrating” to see it happen again. “We are fully working with our partners to ensure there are no further disruptions.”

title: “Sunday S Airport Delays Were Awful Frustrating Yvr Bc News Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-03” author: “Barbara Laws”

Sunday’s long delays at Vancouver International Airport were “simply awful and a truly brutal experience for our passengers.” That’s how Robyn McVicker, YVR’s vice president of passenger travel, described the long lines travelers experienced on Aug. 28 due to shortages of security screening personnel. YVR discovered around 6:30 a.m. Sunday that several Canadian Aviation Safety Authority screening officers who were scheduled to work did not show up, McVicker explained. CATSA, which manages passenger security screening at Canada’s airports, contracts security services through Allied Universal, a third-party company, at YVR Airport. While staff can “close” work when sick or for other reasons, he added, a “very unexpected number” of workers did not turn up. “It significantly impacted screening and prevented us from opening some checkpoints that were necessary to support the 70,000 passengers that came through YVR yesterday,” McVicker said. Only one domestic checkpoint was open due to lack of CATSA staff, resulting in international travelers being diverted to the domestic checkpoint as well, he added. Controllers at YVR are part of the International Union of Mechanical Engineers and Aerospace Workers. They have held rallies outside YVR airport all summer demanding better pay and less stressful working conditions. IAMAW is at the bargaining table and hopes CATSA will hold Allied Universal who looks like third parties accountable for raising wages and creating a better working environment. Although many travelers arrived early and “did everything they could and recommended”, some passengers missed their flights and had to rebook flights for Monday. McVicker said frontline team members at YVR were giving priority to people with reduced mobility or small babies at the security checkpoint. Food, drink and other support was given to everyone else who waited patiently in line. “The reality was that it was difficult for people who were waiting to get through the screening.” Today’s wait times and line-ups were still affected by the lack of staff from yesterday, however, they are at more “manageable levels” today. YVR is working closely with CATSA, Transport Canada and all agencies to avoid the same “big freaking” delay the airport experienced in April, according to McVicker. But he said it was “super frustrating” to see it happen again. “We are fully working with our partners to ensure there are no further disruptions.”

title: “Sunday S Airport Delays Were Awful Frustrating Yvr Bc News Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-05” author: “Bobby Clayton”

Sunday’s long delays at Vancouver International Airport were “simply awful and a truly brutal experience for our passengers.” That’s how Robyn McVicker, YVR’s vice president of passenger travel, described the long lines travelers experienced on Aug. 28 due to shortages of security screening personnel. YVR discovered around 6:30 a.m. Sunday that several Canadian Aviation Safety Authority screening officers who were scheduled to work did not show up, McVicker explained. CATSA, which manages passenger security screening at Canada’s airports, contracts security services through Allied Universal, a third-party company, at YVR Airport. While staff can “close” work when sick or for other reasons, he added, a “very unexpected number” of workers did not turn up. “It significantly impacted screening and prevented us from opening some checkpoints that were necessary to support the 70,000 passengers that came through YVR yesterday,” McVicker said. Only one domestic checkpoint was open due to lack of CATSA staff, resulting in international travelers being diverted to the domestic checkpoint as well, he added. Controllers at YVR are part of the International Union of Mechanical Engineers and Aerospace Workers. They have held rallies outside YVR airport all summer demanding better pay and less stressful working conditions. IAMAW is at the bargaining table and hopes CATSA will hold Allied Universal who looks like third parties accountable for raising wages and creating a better working environment. Although many travelers arrived early and “did everything they could and recommended”, some passengers missed their flights and had to rebook flights for Monday. McVicker said frontline team members at YVR were giving priority to people with reduced mobility or small babies at the security checkpoint. Food, drink and other support was given to everyone else who waited patiently in line. “The reality was that it was difficult for people who were waiting to get through the screening.” Today’s wait times and line-ups were still affected by the lack of staff from yesterday, however, they are at more “manageable levels” today. YVR is working closely with CATSA, Transport Canada and all agencies to avoid the same “big freaking” delay the airport experienced in April, according to McVicker. But he said it was “super frustrating” to see it happen again. “We are fully working with our partners to ensure there are no further disruptions.”