140,000 March break travellers expected daily at Pearson Airport in Mississauga, Ontario

An estimated 140,000 daily travellers and 1,000 flights per day are expected at Pearson Airport in Mississauga starting later this week and all next week as people get away for the March break.

Pearson Airport officials said via social media today the anticipated number of daily travellers marks a significant increase — about nine per cent — over the 2023 March break travel period.

This year’s March break, which runs from this Friday through March 17, represents one of the busiest travel periods of the year, according to airport officials.

“The first sign of spring is around the corner, and Toronto Pearson is prepared to welcome March break travellers,” Pearson posted to X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday morning. “This is one of the busiest periods of the year at the airport —not far behind summer travel – and will bring around 140,000 travellers through the airport each day, about a nine per cent increase from 2023.”

In an earlier social media post on Tuesday, Pearson noted the 1,000 daily flights it’s expecting to oversee during the week-long break represent a seven per cent increase from last year.

“Besides our usual domestic activity and multiple daily flights to La Guardia (New York City), Heathrow (London) and O’Hare (Chicago), sun destinations lead the way with travellers jetting off to Cancun, Punta Cana, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Miami,” Pearson officials said via X.

Still by the numbers, officials at Pearson are preparing for the airport to see, on average, about 87,000 pieces of luggage processed each day during March break.

On the single-busiest day, they’re anticipating some 100,000 bags and suitcases to be checked and moved onto and off aircraft.

“Over the span of the break, that’s over one million bags that will come through our airport,” Pearson officials said in another post to X on Tuesday, adding wryly, “some passengers pack light, while others bring everything but the kitchen sink.”

As last year’s March break arrived, it brought snowy weather and expected flight delays along with it. No snow is in the forecast for this coming weekend as the 2024 winter getaway begins.

Pearson officials remind travellers to check flights ahead of time for any potential delays and to also familiarize themselves with items not allowed to be brought on board planes.

That and much more information is available via the airport’s website, officials say.