Aviation Security and the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority
Canada’s aviation system today is at the forefront of the world in safety and security, with every aviation stakeholder playing an important role. Canada’s airports work closely with Transport Canada, CATSA and the other partners in our system to ensure that it remains safe and secure.
In Canada, the Department of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities is responsible for setting aviation security regulations. A crown corporation reporting to the Minister of Transport, the Canadian Air Transportation Security Authority (CATSA) is responsible for implementing the government’s security regulations in the areas of passenger and non-passenger screening at airports, and the screening of hold baggage.
CATSA is very much a partner in the ‘airport experience’ for members of the travelling public. The scope of CATSA’s business, and the manner in which it is conducted, not only affects the security and efficiency of the airport, but it very significantly affects airport decisions on capital planning, retail development, baggage and passenger flows, and a broad range of other activities.
Canada’s airports contend that aviation security is a matter of national security and that funding should come from general tax revenues. Today, however, funding for CATSA indirectly come from passengers in the form of an Air Travellers Security Charge imposed on every ticket. The federal government, through its annual budget, allocates how much money CATSA receives each year.
In order to properly fulfill its vital security role, CATSA needs a stable, dedicated form of funding in order to properly plan for future aviation security needs.
The CAC also is a strong proponent of the use of technology as a way to both increase security and improve the travel experience for passengers in more cost-effective ways. This includes the use of programs such as Registered Traveller, which speeds up the screening process for passengers who join the program and submit themselves to background checks.
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