The voice of Canada’s airports.
Thursday, November 16, 2006 -
Canada’s Airports Advise U.S.-Bound Travellers this Winter: Passports Will be Required
NEXUS Air card the only accepted alternative starting January 8th
OTTAWA (Nov. 16, 2006) – Canada’s airports are advising U.S.-bound
travellers that a new passport requirement for U.S. travel by air will come into
effect this January.Starting this
January 8th, all passengers to the U.S. will require a valid passport
or a NEXUS Air card.
“Due to several
delays in the passport requirement for U.S.
entry, including a recent final delay for U.S.
travellers arriving by land and sea, there may be confusion among air
travellers about whether or not they will need a passport to travel to the U.S. this winter,”
said Canadian Airports Council (CAC) President and CEO Jim Facette.“With the requirement now final, the answer
is clear:Starting Jan. 8, all those who
are U.S.-bound and travelling by air will require a passport or NEXUS Air card.”
More than 20
million enplaned/deplaned air passengers travelled between Canada and the U.S. in 2005 – the biggest
bilateral air market in the world.
January is the
beginning of a very busy post-holiday sun travel season in Canada. In
addition to U.S.-destined travellers, the new requirement also will affect travellers
transiting the U.S.This may impact some vacationers who may not
even realize they will be travelling through the U.S.
“Canada’s airports urge travellers with plans to
go south this winter, to check their itineraries for possible U.S. connections and ensure the new U.S. passport
requirement doesn’t ruin their vacation plans,” said Mr. Facette.
The only
acceptable alternative to a passport for entry to the U.S. after Jan.
8 is the NEXUS Air card – an electronic card program that allows pre-screened
travellers to use an electronic kiosk instead of passing through immigration
and customs officer lines after paying a one-time fee and undergoing a
background check.Currently only available
for air travel into the U.S. through Vancouver International Airport, the
federal government last spring announced plans to expand the program to all of Canada’s
eight largest airports by the end of 2007.
Canada’s airports have been active participants in a
coalition of travel and tourism industry stakeholders that have worked with the
Canadian and U.S. government
over the past two years to mitigate the negative impact for travellers on the
passport requirement provisions of the U.S. government’s Western
Hemisphere Travel Initiative.
About the Canadian Airports Council
The Canadian Airports Council (CAC) is the voice for Canada’s airports.Its 45 members encompass 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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