Toronto Pearson International Airport, the WORST airport in the world, is about to get even more hellacious…

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As previously reported, Toronto Pearson International Airport is the worst airport in the entire world – and yes, that includes airports situated in third-world countries.

This dubious achievement is based on data obtained from the flight-tracking company FlightAware. The data covers the period of May 26 to July 19, 2022.

Pearson was deemed to be the absolute worst of the worst when it came to delayed flights. And it was the 4th worst airport in the world when it came to flight cancellations.

It’s a disgrace. Visit Pearson and you will be greeted by multi-hour lineups; you will witness myriad missed connections; you will see areas of the airport that resemble Saturday Night Live’s “Island of Lost Luggage”; and let us not forget those poor “misplaced” pets – some of which almost died of dehydration in recent months.

Air travel post-9/11 was never a joyous experience with all the enhanced security measures in place. But now trying to fly the not-so-friendly skies is akin to a mild form of torture.

So, given this public relations black eye, what initiatives will the Greater Toronto Airport Authority embrace to get Pearson back on track? Well, they are going to make the experience of flying out of Pearson even more miserable for already shell-shocked consumers.

For starters, beginning on Jan. 1, 2023 Pearson’s aeronautical rates and its airport improvement fee (AIF) will increase. Happy New Year!

The AIF for departing passengers will increase by $5 to a new total of $35; meanwhile, the fee for connecting passengers is going up by $1, for a new total of $7.

But wait, there’s more! Aeronautical rates for commercial, business, and general aviation aircraft will rise by 4%. Let us offer a guess as to what will happen here: those costs will be passed along by the airlines for consumers because… well, ‘twas ever thus…

What next? A levy on those keen to join the Mile High Club?

Our advice to Greater Toronto Area frequent fliers is this: drive to Hamilton – that city’s airport functions like a well-oiled machine. Or drive a little further to Buffalo, N.Y. – that city’s airport is also superb. And even with the egregious exchange rate, you will still be ahead of the game.

In the meantime, since these fee increases are slated for “airport improvement,” how’s this for an upgrade: funnel this new-found money towards severance packages for the GTAA’s CEO and its board of directors. They have proven themselves to be beyond incompetent and they should be replaced as soon as possible.