On July 28th, a failure of the Canada Border Services Agency’s (CBSA) Primary Inspection Point (BIP) computer system caused delays at border controls at all international airports across the country. YUL was not spared, while the impact of the blackout was felt in the early afternoon, particularly with the arrival of flights from Europe.

All employees in the airport community worked together to minimize impacts and ensure passenger comfort despite these difficult circumstances. Thanks to their efforts, the travellers were taken care of upon arrival at YUL. To avoid overloading the border services area, passenger disembarkation was gradual. Passengers on board the aircraft had access to air conditioning and bottles of water were also distributed.

Waiting time at the busiest time of the day averaged 90 minutes, from the time the aircraft arrived at the gate until the end of the CBSA screening process. At approximately 6:00 p.m., the CBSA’s automated service gradually resumed.

Thank you to all the employees who have worked closely or indirectly for your excellent work and especially for making this situation a fine example of fruitful collaboration by putting passengers at the heart of your concerns.

The situation has generated a lot of media attention across the country. Here is an example of an article that dealt with the breakdown: La Presse, Panne et longue attente at Montréal-Trudeau Airport.