The Toronto Film Festival sure loves Hollywood stars on its red carpets.
But away from movie premieres and parties, superstars disappear as flight arrivals and departures at Pearson International Airport.
Don't expect Cate Blanchett or Ben Stiller to jostle for a baggage carousel or walk barefoot and unbelted through a body scanner at Canada's busiest airport. Instead, private jet terminals, souped-up VIP lounges and hidden walkways keep Hollywood stars well under the radar.
TIFF organizers even outsource a concierge service to alert airport officials and the Canada Border Services Agency, which runs Pearson’s security and border control, about who’s coming and going. Celebrities heading to the festival can then be escorted, head-of-state style, to and from their flights, skipping check-in lines and security before making their way to chauffeur-driven cars at secret pickup areas.
TIFF's airport-to-airport concierge service also allows airport personnel with a RAIC (Restricted Areas Identity Card) to navigate Pearson's unmarked corridors.
And when first class just won’t cut it, megastars shell out tens of thousands of dollars to be whisked away in private or chartered jets to Pearson, in comfort and privacy. That’s thanks to private operators around the airport like Skycharter, Landmark and Skyservice. They let celebrities get off the planes and into waiting cars without sunglasses, hoodies or baseball caps, to avoid being hounded by photographers.
Not that they need worry. As a polite Torontonian, Pearson doesn’t have hordes of tabloid photographers on its arrivals deck, or yoga studio attendants or downtown juice bar waiters ready to snitch on visiting stars by selling tips to local reporters. “We don’t have paparazzi like at LAX, guys coming up and trying to get a picture,” says Karen Mazurkewich, vice president of communications for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority at Pearson. DAY.
Hollywood celebrities choose to fly commercially to and from Pearson because U.S. Customs is located in the terminal, allowing for pre-boarding clearance and air connections to 174 U.S. cities. That's in contrast to Cannes or Venice, where returning Hollywood celebrities must fly through key U.S. hubs before reaching their final destinations. “The good thing about Toronto is that when they leave, they have a lot more places to fly to because we have U.S. Customs at the airport,” Mazurkewich adds.
And once downtown, local hotels are doing their part to secretly shuttle Hollywood stars around town. Anthony Campaniaris, GM at 1 Hotel Toronto, says separate private elevators, underground parking garage entrances and a no-photography policy are part of a way to ensure celebrity guests aren’t disturbed or delayed. “Our staff is trained to respect aliases and ensure all interactions are handled discreetly,” Campaniaris says. DAY.