If you’re travelling through Toronto Pearson Airport this winter, get ready because it’s about to be a busy holiday travel season. And, if you’re travelling with luggage, you’re not the only one who’s about to go on a little trip!
Toronto Pearson recently gave travellers a behind-the-scenes look at what happens to your bags after you check them in, and it’s pretty fascinating to see where they go.
Whether you’re flying out of Toronto Pearson or passing through and re-checking your bags, the mystery of where your stuff goes after you leave them is finally solved—or at least partially.
In a recent post on X, Toronto Pearson shared a video of its massive conveyor belt system, which stretches a whopping 30 kilometres under the airport. The clip offers a rare look at how our luggage moves through the system, showing bags gliding along on belts that appear to be moving in all directions.
The clip seems to have been filmed on a quiet day, as there aren’t too many suitcases in sight, which is perfect for showcasing the efficiency of the process.
According to the airport, millions of pieces of luggage pass through Toronto Pearson annually, with numbers surging during the winter break. Last year alone, the airport handled 2.27 million checked bags between mid-December and early January, and this season, they’re gearing up for over 2.75 million. That’s a lot of baggage to handle, literally!
As the video shows, once you hand over your bag, it embarks on its own little adventure. Conveyor belts transport it to a sorting area, where it’s carefully directed to its flight’s baggage cart. Cameras and computers keep a watchful eye to ensure the system runs like clockwork.
But as weirdly calming as this video is, the other end of the journey doesn’t always look so zen.
One TikToker recently shared a clip of their luggage arriving at Toronto Pearson, and the scene was a lot more chaotic. The baggage carousel was packed to the brim, with suitcases flying everywhere and crashing into one another upon their arrival at the pick-up point.
This isn’t the first time we’ve caught a glimpse of airport luggage adventures, either. Last year, a TikToker went viral for strapping a camera to their suitcase, documenting its journey through a different airport.
And in Vancouver, a baggage handler gave us a rare peek at how luggage is stacked on planes.
So, next time you check your bag, imagine it cruising along Toronto Pearson’s conveyor belt highway—hopefully en route to your final destination!
