U.S. Customs and Border Protection is temporarily suspending its operations at the Montréal-Trudeau International Airport, leading to multiple flight cancellations Wednesday.
The agency points to the smell of construction materials as the reason behind the move, the airport said in a social media post Wednesday morning.
“Every effort is being made to resume operations as quickly as possible,” reads the post.
A spokesperson for the airport said it has increased ventilation in the area. They add that the Montreal fire department conducted an inspection and found that the situation does not pose a health risk.
At the moment, around 20 U.S.-bound flights have been cancelled. The airport suggests passengers check their flight status with their airlines before heading out.
Umar Chaudry, who was hoping to catch a flight home, says it smells like “exhaust” inside the airport, likening it to the odour that lingers after someone starts a car inside a garage.
“The lines are not moving in there at all,” he said. “There’s no feedback for anything. So, it’s really unsettling not to know what’s going on.”
Pending his flight cancellation, he says he’s looking into driving to New York, but has had no luck finding a rental car so far.
There is major work being done around the airport as it undergoes a $10-billion transformation. Construction is expected to continue for the next decade.
