Passenger reports exhaust smell as U.S. customs pause operations at Montreal airport

Passenger reports exhaust smell as U.S. customs resume operations at Montreal airport

Multiple U.S.-bound flights cancelled as a result of strong odour from paint job varnish

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) is gradually resuming its operations at the Montréal-Trudeau International Airport Wednesday morning, after a strong odour caused disruptions.

The airport authority first attributed the smell to construction materials and later clarified, saying it came from a varnish from an interior paint job in the U.S. customs area.

Around 20 U.S.-bound flights have been cancelled as a result. In a social media post, the airport says passengers should continue to expect delays. It suggests they check their flight status with their airlines before heading out.

The USCBP suspended its operations around 8 a.m., but some passengers say they were left in the dark until much later.

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 looked into driving to New York, but had no luck finding a rental car.

Christine Searle reports a similar experience.

"I've never experienced this lack of information other than once a couple of years ago," she said, adding she's lucky her flight was delayed as opposed to cancelled.

A spokesperson for the airport said it increased ventilation in the area earlier in the morning.

They add that the Montreal fire department conducted an inspection and found that the situation did not pose a health risk.

With files from Maya Chebl and Rowan Kennedy