Leaders’ Series Feature Interview: Deborah Flint

Credit: GTAA.

GTAA has just reclaimed its prestigious ranking as the best airport with over 40 million passengers in North America. Congratulations! What has been key for you to reclaim your position in the top spot? And are there any particular technologies that have really been instrumental?

Deborah Flint: Reflecting on the last few years, the transition out of the pandemic was very challenging after a closure of almost two years. Restarting was difficult, but we’re very pleased that the ecosystem has become a lot more stable and resilient. A big part of this stability comes from an incredible team that launched several passenger-facing and operational efficiency initiatives. From a passenger perspective, we ensured reliable information, allowing them to better predict their experience. Tools like YYZ Express for booking security line spots and pre-filling your U.S. customs declarations through mobile passport control have sped-up processing. We also introduced new kiosks and enhanced the digital experience, which our customers appreciated.

2024 has certainly been a year of you reclaiming titles. You recently regained your ranking in Forbes list of Canada’s best employers and in fact, are the only airport included on that list. How do you find the recruitment of airport workers and when thinking of the younger generation, what do you think airports need to highlight to try to appeal to them?

Deborah Flint: Our vision, which is part of our 10-year strategic plan, is to put the joy back into travel by making Pearson the chosen place to fly and to work. This includes not just the customer experience, but the employee experience as well. We highlight the robust and rewarding careers available at the airport. Post-pandemic, we found ourselves playing a new role in the ecosystem during the recovery and we hosted job fairs and workforce readiness programmes, which were very successful. That’s not something we would’ve normally entertained, and airports weren’t working that way before the pandemic. But with the challenges around finding workers and retaining workers over the last few years, we wholeheartedly jumped into it and we’re very pleased to see the results. Thousands attended our job fairs and many took part in our training programmes.

The employees are really excited about moving from an era where we were not investing in our assets, to having top-of-the-line equipment and being about growth. Growth is very exciting; it’s aspirational. So, we find that our employees are really connecting to that in the workplace.

We know that working at the airport can be extremely intensive. There are a lot of peaks. Sometimes the public is not the most kind or gentle – so we celebrate our employees. We have a programme called ‘I am Toronto Pearson’, which is also an online community and resource for our employees featuring news and events; resources and jobs; safety and security reports; as well as offers and discounts. The programme reflects the 50,000 plus people that are there to be part of a community, the spirit and noble calling of the work our employees do and making the airport an exciting and meaningful place to work.

Last year in 2023, you introduced the Pearson Standard. Can you tell us in a nutshell what that is and how it has helped drive operational efficiencies?

DF: One positive outcome from the recovery was realising how interconnected the ecosystem is. The ‘Pearson Standard’ was developed in collaboration with our partners to ensure a consistent standard of customer care and performance across the ecosystem. These standards are built into our contracts with service providers, and while consequences for not meeting them exist, they primarily serve to motivate our partners to exceed these standards. This collaboration has galvanised workers and helps us manage more efficiently through consistent measurement. It goes back to the very traditional adage that you can manage better what you measure. So that’s what the standard is really about.

Airports are more galvanised than ever in their quest for decarbonisation. What’s on the agenda for 2024 that we should be looking out for?

DF: We’re very excited about our continued pathway on decarbonisation, having already achieved over 40% of our decarbonisation goals. One of our major challenges is decarbonising our Cogen facility, but we’re exploring various methodologies like solar installations and reducing emissions from our ground vehicle fleets through procurement policies and electrification both on the airfield and within our landside facilities.

What are the challenges you face within the next year, and what opportunities are you looking at?

DF: After over a decade of sweating our assets, we are finally positioned to be investing in a new era of infrastructure for Toronto Pearson. Our LIFT plan, which stands for Long-Term Investment in Facilities and Terminals, is being rolled out over a decade with three major programmes. We’ve launched the Accelerator Programme, focusing on airfield restoration including electrical and control systems; climate resiliency through stormwater drainage expansion, greenhouse gas reduction programmes, and addressing near-term growth through an interim terminal facility. We’re excited about our strong trajectory for growth, modernisation, and creating a digital future for the airport that’s going to drive efficiency, reliability and enjoyment of the travel experience for our customers and employees. We look to see this exciting industry come together with the best of local and small Canadian businesses, partnering with global partners that have been involved in some of the best airport projects around the world, and together creating an incredible future for the country’s largest airport and the fourth largest gateway into North America.