Passenger Protect - Implementation June 18, 2007

Transport Canada has announced that new Identity Screening Regulations, which have been under consultation since 2004, will come into force, applying to airlines operating domestic and international flights, with effect from June 18, 2007.

The new identity screening regulations, impose upon airlines, the obligation to screen all of its passengers over the age of twelve years against a list of specified persons, prior to issuing a boarding pass.  The federal government will establish and maintain the list of specified persons pursuant to the authority of the Aeronautics Act.  The regulations will set out an administrative procedure to be followed by airlines upon identifying a specified person, which will involve both Transport Canada and the RCMP. 

The intention is that the list of specified persons will be comprised of individuals that are known to or thought to pose an “immediate risk to aviation security” – for example those involved in terrorism or crimes in relation to aviation security. 

The success of the scheme will doubtless be in part dependant upon the quality of the list compiled and maintained by the federal government and the quality of the intelligence which is used to populate the list.

For further information, visit Transport Canada’s Media Room by following the link below:

http://www.tc.gc.ca/mediaroom/releases/nat/2007/07-gc017e.htm