The Trudeau government says the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) will soon launch a new Verified Traveller program that will offer a faster and more efficient screening experience for eligible travellers at select airports across Canada. The news was quickly welcomed by a lobby group of Canadian business people, which called it a “forward-thinking” plan that will “improve the security screening experience for eligible travellers.” Ottawa said the new Verified Traveller program will replace the current Trusted Traveller program. By June 21, 2023, dedicated Verified Traveller screening lines will be available at select domestic and international checkpoints in the Read more
CATSA
Ottawa says it has hired some 1,200 security workers to deal with ongoing congestion problems at Canadian airports. The federal government on Wednesday July 6 issued the following statement: “On Monday, July 4, Minister Alghabra met with the CEO of Air Canada to discuss current and planned actions being taken by the airline to quickly bring on more employees and to bolster core operations to better respond to the challenges of rapidly increasing demands. This meeting followed similar meetings that Minister Alghabra had with the CEOs of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority and WestJet last week. Transport Canada is Read more
The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), operator of Toronto Pearson, came together with the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to offer passengers travel tips and advice as the busy summer travel season heats up. “We’re heading into what is traditionally our busiest time of the year and we want to arm passengers with tips to help them move through the travel experience as smoothly as possible,” said Deborah Flint, President and CEO of the GTAA. “We’ve been supporting our government agencies and airline partners to help manage difficult situations at the airport and we’re using Read more
The federal government says airport lineups are improving across the country. A statement from senior ministers in Ottawa says wait times at security lines continue to go down at Toronto Pearson International Airport, with about 91% of passengers now being screened within 15 minutes. Calgary International Airport also saw a slight overall improvement, with about 86% of passengers now screened within 15 minutes. About 84% of passengers were screened within 15 minutes at Vancouver International Airport, which is fewer than the previous week, but still a significant improvement since mid-May. About 85% of passengers were screened within 15 minutes at Read more
Slowdowns at Canadian airports are “unacceptable” and are harming the country’s economy, Mississauga civic and business leaders said today. Speaking at a press conference at Toronto Pearson Airport, officials said the Trudeau government needs to take urgent action to address delays at Pearson and other airports. The speakers said Ottawa needs to dump random COVID-19 testing at Canadian airports, and also needs to eliminate lengthy conversations between Canadian Borders Services Agency (customs workers) and arriving passengers. Doug Allingham, Chair of the Board of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, said chats with custom officers have traditionally taken about 30 seconds per Read more
