The voice of Canada’s airports.
Thursday, March 22, 2007 -
Canada’s Safe, Airports Group Airports Says
OTTAWA (March 22, 2007) – In reacting to a
report from Senator Kenny issued yesterday, the Canadian Airports Council, the national
association representing Canada’s airports, today said Canada enjoys one of the
safest and most secure aviation systems in the world.
“Canada’s aviation system today is
at the forefront of the world in safety and security,” said Canadian Airports
Council President and CEO Jim Facette.“Canadians should feel confident that they are flying one of the safest
aviation systems in the world.”
In addition to passenger screening and world-standard restrictions on items that can be carried aboard passenger aircraft, Canada is a leader in making aviation safe through such measures as:
1)Restricted Area Identification Cards (RAIC) for airport workers - a biometric identification system for airport workers that ensures that everybody with secure access to an airport is who they say they are and have valid security clearance for that part of the airport. Every worker with a RAIC card and secure access at Canada’s airports undergoes aggressive background checks before they are provided security clearance.
2)Hold Baggage Screening - 100% of checked bags on passenger aircraft in Canada are screened and any suspicious items identified are further investigated.
3)Supply Chain Security of Airport Products – Security of products sold at Canadian airports is maintained through a supply chain security system.
“The senator’s report takes a simplistic
look at aviation security, which owes its strength to the combined layers of
security that are constantly being evaluated and modified to meet anticipated
threats,” said Mr. Facette. “Security of Canada’s aviation system is about
constantly learning and improving; this process is never complete, nor should
it ever be.”
Canada’s airports say that the security of our aviation system is
everybody’s concern and airports work closely with Transport Canada, CATSA
and the other partners in our system to ensure that it remains safe and secure.
About
the Canadian Airports Council
The Canadian Airports Council (CAC) is the voice for Canada’s airports.Its 43 members represent more than 150 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 well in excess of $30 billion in economic activity in the communities they serve.And more than 150,000 jobs are directly associated with CAC member airports, generating a payroll of more than $8 billion annually.
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