Duty Free Alcohol, Fragrances Once Again Available to Canadian Air Travellers

Friday, August 18, 2006 -

Duty Free Alcohol, Fragrances Once Again
Available to Canadian Air Travellers

OTTAWA (August 18, 2006) The Canadian Airports Council today announced that it has reached an agreement with the federal government to enable the safe, secure resumption of liquid duty free product sales from Canadian airports. 

Duty free is a $175 million industry for Canada’s airports and millions of dollars in duty free sales have been lost since last week’s security ban on liquids aboard aircraft was imposed.

“Duty free represents a vital source of revenue for Canada’s locally-operated non-profit airports and the security restrictions on liquids in carry-on effectively closed the nation’s duty free shops,” said Jim Facette, president and CEO of the Canadian Airports Council, which led the airports’ efforts to find a solution. “Canada’s airports appreciate the efforts of Transport Canada officials working with industry to achieve an interim agreement that will enable the resumption of sales in a safe, secure manner.”

Canada’s airports offer international air travellers a wide selection of duty free products, most notably favourably priced alcohol and luxury fragrance products.  The new interim agreement creates a security arrangement in which the integrity of liquid- and gel-based duty free products is ensured, allowing them to be brought aboard commercial aircraft safely once again.

“The security incidents of last week posed logistical challenges to all of us involved in commercial aviation in Canada,” said CAC President and CEO Jim Facette.  “While frustrating at times, the experience is highlighting the importance for all stakeholders in the industry to work together to find flexible solutions to the problems associated with providing commercial air travel securely today.”

The agreement on duty free requires air carriers to maintain possession of airport duty free items on flights to the U.K and on post-cleared flights to the U.S.  Carriers will have the option of allowing airport purchased duty free liquids, gels or aerosols on the aircraft.  Passengers are advised to check with their carrier.  For other international flights, duty free items will be delivered to the passenger at the gate, or in the case of Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto, will be sold on a cash and carry basis.

For flights to the U.S., from airports with pre-clearance facilities (Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal), passengers will be required to insert their duty free liquids, gels or aerosols into their checked bags before proceeding through customs and immigration.  Please note that some aerosols are not permitted in checked baggage. For more information check the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority’s (CATSA) website at www.catsa.gc.ca.


The Canadian Airports Council (CAC) is the voice for Canada’s airports. Its
45 members encompass 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 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.