Flights disrupted in section of Terminal 1 at Pearson airport after arriving passengers used 'wrong door'

Thousands of passengers have been grounded at Toronto Pearson International airport this morning after officials say airline staff accidentally led arriving passengers through the wrong door.

Thousands of passengers have been grounded at Toronto Pearson International airport this morning after officials say airline staff accidentally led arriving passengers through the wrong door.

“A ground handler contracted by one of the airlines directed passengers arriving from a flight to the wrong area of the airport,” Sean Davidson, a spokesperson for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), told CP24 on Thursday morning.

“These passengers are now mixed with passengers who are heading to the U.S. so while there is no imminent security threat here at the airport, U.S. customs now needs to do some work to figure out exactly who has been screened and who hasn’t and unfortunately that just takes a bit of time.”

The incident is disrupting flights in the Terminal 1 transborder area, the airport confirmed.

Images sent to CP24 show hundreds of passengers waiting in the terminal, along with airline staff, police, and members of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (USCBP).

Passenger Michael Kuluva, who is waiting to board a flight to Miami, told CP24 on Thursday morning that the area has been in lockdown since about 7:30 a.m.

“We don’t know a lot about it,” Kuluva said.