A week after the federal government's new Verified Traveller security screening program launched on 21JUN at Canada's six largest international airports (YVR, YEG, YYC, YWG, YYZ, YUL), the minister of transport announced it would be expanding to two more gateways.
The Verified Traveller program has replaced the Trusted Traveller program, with dedicated lines open for members of NEXUS and Global Entry, military, law enforcement and aircrew to pass through security checkpoints while leaving laptops and liquids in their carry-ons and shoes, belts and jackets on. It also allows children under 17 and adults over 75 years on the same reservation to accompany Verified Travellers.
In the new, 27JUN announcement, Omar Alghabra revealed that CATSA will also be launching a "pilot" for dedicated Verified Traveller screening lines at the Ottawa and Halifax airports by 23AUG.
This new pilot will test the feasibility of having dedicated lines open on a daily basis at these airports by opening them during peak periods, while maintaining overall service standards for these checkpoints. Outside of peak periods, a front-of-the-line service would be offered to eligible verified travellers.
In making the announcement, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said, “I am pleased to announce that the airports in Ottawa and Halifax will soon be joining the other six Canadian airports with dedicated Verified Traveller screening lines, on a pilot basis. As we enter the busy summer travel season, we are working hard to ensure a smooth security screening process for travellers. This new Verified Traveller program will help ease congestion... and smooth passenger experience for all Canadian travellers.”
As Open Jaw reported, when Ottawa announced the new program, designed to help speed up security lines, YOW officials quickly announced they were “disappointed to have been excluded from the list" of six airports included in the program.
"For Canada's capital airport to offer a lesser customer experience to travellers who are considered trusted NEXUS members makes no sense," YOW authorities claimed.
However, when it announced the first six airports getting the Verified Traveller program in MAY, Transport Canada listed several more airports that, while they would not have dedicated security lines for Verified Travellers, would offer eligible pax front-of-the-line service.
Ottawa and Halifax were already on that list of airports where pax eligible for the Verified Traveller program are able to skip to the front of the security line.
Airports With Dedicated Lines OR Where Verified Travellers Can Skip to the Front of the Security Screening Line:
- Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport - Domestic and transborder
- Calgary International Airport - Concourse A, D, E - transborder
- Edmonton International Airport – transborder
- Greater Moncton Roméo Leblanc International Airport - Domestic/Int'l/transborder
- Halifax Stanfield International Airport – Domestic/Int’l / transborder
- Kelowna International Airport - Domestic/Int'l/Transborder
- Ottawa International Airport – Domestic/Int’l /transborder
- Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport - Domestic/Int'l/transborder
- Regina International Airport - Domestic/Int'l/transborder
- Saskatoon International Airport - Domestic/Int'l/transborder
- St. John's International Airport - Domestic/Int'l/transborder
- Toronto Pearson International airport - T1, T3 Int'l
- Vancouver International Airport - Domestic South/ Int'l / transborder
- Victoria International Airport - Domestic/Int'l/transborder
- Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport - transborder
