The voice of Canada’s airports.
Friday, February 15, 2008 -
Tabled
amendments will modernize Canada’s
borders,
improving security and passenger facilitation
OTTAWA (February 15, 2008) – The Canadian
Airports Council today urged the government to swiftly pass amendments to the
Customs Act tabled today in the House of Commons – amendments Canada’s airports
say will both improve border security and the efficient passage of travellers
through Canada’s borders.
“Canada is part of a globally
integrated economy for trade and tourism and a secure and efficient border is
essential to ensuring Canadian competitiveness in the world today,” said CAC
President and CEO Jim Facette.“The
Customs Act amendments tabled today are an important step toward this goal by
ensuring our border officials have the flexibility they need to evaluate and
detect potential risks while allowing legitimate travellers and shipments to
enter Canada more efficiently.”
In particular, Canada’s airports support a key
component of the Customs Act amendments tabled today that allow for the
implementation of “Customs Controlled Areas.”These would expand the jurisdiction of the Canada Border Services Agency
to a larger area of the international arrivals area than the current limited
responsibility for only certain designated exit points.
“Maintaining secure and efficient borders
in the world today requires a modern and flexible border environment,” said Mr.
Facette.“We encourage parliamentarians
to quickly pass this important piece of legislation.”
About
the Canadian Airports Council
The Canadian Airports Council (CAC) is the voice for Canada’s airports.Its 49 members represent more than 180 airports, including all of the National Airports System (NAS) airports and most significant municipal airports in every province and territory. Together, CAC members handle virtually all of the nation’s air cargo and international passenger traffic and 95% of domestic passenger traffic.They create in excess of $45 billion in economic activity in the communities they serve.And more than 200,000 jobs are directly associated with CAC member airports, generating a payroll of more than $8 billion annually.
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For more
information:
Daniel-Robert
Gooch,
Director of
Communications
Canadian
Airports Council
(613) 560-9302
ext 16