Canada: Toronto Airport cuts workforce 27% with traffic at 1996 levels

The organization that runs Canada’s busiest airport will slash 27% of jobs after the Covid-19 pandemic decimated air travel, with no end in sight for Canada-US border restrictions. The Greater Toronto Airports Authority, which manages the Lester B. Pearson International Airport, announced the cutbacks Tuesday and said it will let go of 300 staff and eliminate 200 unfilled positions. GTAA said passenger numbers at Pearson airport are now at 1996 levels. More than 50 million people passed through the Canadian hub in 2019. The restructuring “was a difficult decision but necessary decision, made with great care and deliberation by our leadership team and Board of Directors,” GTAA President and Chief Executive Officer Deborah Flint said The Canadian government is set to announce that the border will remain closed to most non-essential travel until at least Aug. 21. The official order is expected to come later this week.<br/>