Gov’t Pledge On Air Security

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Cabinet supports expanding federally-regulated security screening to regional airports nationwide, but won’t detail who’ll pays or how much. Transport Canada endorsed a Commons motion permitting small airfields to join a national airport security system following petitions from local authorities from Sherbrooke, Que. to Fort Nelson, B.C.

“Many of them indicated the absence of these screening devices constituted the only barrier to establishment of new commercial routes at their airports,” said Conservative MP Jeff Watson, parliamentary secretary for transport; “However in doing so, we must strive to strike the right balance between supporting the competitiveness of the air sector while minimizing the impact of this support for Canadian taxpayers.”

Eighty-nine national airports across Canada are regulated by the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority. Screening is subsidized in part by mandatory Air Travelers Security Charges ranging from $15 on a domestic round-trip ticket to $26 on overseas flights.

In the Commons, New Democrats proposed Motion 553 that cabinet include smaller local airports in the security system: “That in the opinion of the House, the government should present, as soon as possible, a mechanism that would allow non-designated airports…to provide, at their expense, Canadian Air Transport Security Authority-recognized security screening in a manner that would not compromise the health and safety of passengers, and would uphold existing CATSA standards.”

Local airports account for one percent of commercial passenger traffic nationwide, by official estimate. MP Watson said cabinet supports the motion providing the Security Authority remains in charge of regulation, and that screening is provided on a “cost-recovery basis”. Compliance with federal screening regulations would cost local airfields six figures annually.

“It is about time,” said MP David McGuinty, Liberal transport critic, who noted authorities in Sherbrooke, Que. and other towns have petitioned for the change for years. “What we do not understand is why it is taking so long for the government to do its job,” said McGuinty, MP for Ottawa South. “This is not a big file. It is an extremely important file for all the airports involved.”

McGuinty counted at least ten regional airports that are “waiting for answer”, including Fort Nelson; Dawson City, Yukon; Edson and Cold Lake, Alta.; St. Catharines, Ont.; and Puvirnituq, Trois-Rivières, Schefferville, Bromont and Sherbrooke in Québec.