Transport Committee on Feb. 15th, 2011

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Thank you and good morning, everyone. Welcome to the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, meeting number 47.

Our orders of the day, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), are a study of aviation safety and security.

Joining us today, from the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, for the first hour, we have Mr. Kevin McGarr, president and chief executive officer, and Yves Duguay, senior vice-president, operations. Welcome. Thank you for coming today.

I'm sure previous history will indicate that you have opening comments to make, and then we'll move to questions from the committee members.

Please begin.

[Kevin McGarr, President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Air Transport Security Authority]

Certainly, Mr. Chairman.

Bonjour. My name is Kevin McGarr. I'm president and CEO of the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority. Joining me today is Yves Duguay, CATSA's senior vice-president of operations. We are pleased to be here today to speak with you and to respond to any questions you may have.

After it was announced in June 2010 that CATSA would receive five-year funding, the Government of Canada launched a full review of CATSA spending, efficiency and structure to ensure that CATSA is fulfilling its mandate in an efficient and effective manner.

During the review, consultations were conducted with stakeholders from across the aviation security community. Additionally, passengers and other interested parties were invited to provide submissions. Upon consideration of the findings, the Minister of Transport and the minister of state announced on February 3, 2011, that there will be changes to our airport screening process.

We believe these changes will translate into an increase in our throughput, which is the number of passengers that can be screened each hour at major checkpoints across the country, while maintaining or improving aviation security and enhancing consumer service.

One of the changes resulting from the review is that Transport Canada has now harmonized the prohibited items list in line with international standards. Air travellers are able to bring small scissors and tools in their carry-on baggage, contributing to a screening process that is more convenient. With new equipment and lane configurations we will also be able to enhance the flow of passengers and bags at the security screening checkpoint. For example, in collaboration with airport authorities and where space allows, we will be installing equipment that will automatically separate unresolved bags from cleared bags, thereby reducing congestion.

In partnership with the Canadian Border Services Agency, we will be expanding the use of the trusted traveller CATSA screening lines to Vancouver, Calgary, Halifax, Edmonton, and Winnipeg. This initiative, currently operational in Ottawa, Toronto, and Montreal, provides a designated pre-board screening line for known travellers who pose a lower risk, as they are pre-approved travellers who possess a valid NEXUS card. There will also be new dedicated lines for families and those with special needs with equipment specifically designed for bigger items, such as strollers.

We are confident that these new lane configurations will facilitate passenger convenience at the screening checkpoint.

CATSA is currently undertaking its largest ever contracting process for screening services. This is an opportunity for our organization to redefine our relationship with our screening contractors and to create a screening process that better combines security with consumer service so that we are even better positioned to meet evolving and emerging threats. CATSA expects to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency and consistency of its operations through this procurement process.

We are also implementing our own internal changes to improve the quality of our service delivery, better focus our operations regionally, and ensure that the activities of our employees are well aligned to serve the new service contracts that will come into effect November 1 of this year. At the same time, we are continuing to work with our partners and stakeholders in the air transport industry to strengthen our relationships and in turn improve the air travel experience for all passengers.

Passengers do not necessarily differentiate between the various organizations working at the airports. So it is the collective responsibility of all us in the air transport community to work closely together in ensuring that air travel in Canada is a positive experience for everyone.

We also know that in times of crisis, such as the events of December 25, 2009, we must be able to rely upon established, collaborative and functional relationships with our stakeholders.

In terms of our relationship with our regulator, Transport Canada, we continue to make progress in improving air transport security through mutual respect and cooperation, of which we are very proud.

Moving forward, I would like to assure you that we are committed to implementing a rigorous performance measurement program to ensure that our operations are the most effective they can be. The only way to truly reach excellence in operational efficiency is by measuring how we are doing, focusing on what we do best, and fixing what can be done better. The changes announced by the ministers last February 3 are moving us in that direction. We welcome these changes and are committed to implementing them, because we know they will take us where we want to go, because they are in the best interest of Canadians, and because they are critical to our continued success.

I thank you for your time today and welcome the opportunity to respond to any questions you may have.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Thank you.

Mr. McCallum.

[John McCallum, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McGarr, for your testimony.

I have a question. We've been getting lots of e-mails from flight attendants, and we're going to be hearing from their union. They're concerned about passengers being allowed to carry small blades onto airplanes, that this is an unnecessary risk to their safety. I wonder how you would respond to that.

[Kevin McGarr]

The harmonization of the prohibited items list is a policy decision that was developed by Transport Canada. Very respectfully, I would submit that they would be in a much better position to explain why that decision was made.

[John McCallum, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

So that was not your decision.

[Kevin McGarr]

That is exact; that is a policy decision of government.

[John McCallum, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

I also understand—and correct me if I'm wrong—that people can carry restraining devices like handcuffs onto airplanes now. Is that correct? If so, it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to me.

[Kevin McGarr]

That is exact; restraining devices are not prohibited from being transported on an aircraft.

[John McCallum, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Can you explain the rationale for allowing people to bring handcuffs onto an airplane?

[Kevin McGarr]

Again, very respectfully, that is a policy decision.

[John McCallum, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Pardon?

[Kevin McGarr]

That is a policy decision that was made, and Transport Canada would be the much more appropriate authority—

[John McCallum, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Did Transport Canada ask for your advice on either of these issues, the handcuffs or the blades, and if so, what advice did you give them?

[Kevin McGarr]

We were consulted through the substantive review process. However, the decisions to harmonize the prohibited items list were solely the decisions of Transport Canada.

[John McCallum, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Did they ask for your advice on the issue, and if so, what advice did you give?

[Kevin McGarr]

The opinion we expressed was that we believed that harmonization with the international lists is a positive step for travellers.

[John McCallum, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

That means you, yourself, favoured allowing the small blades and handcuffs onto the planes.

[Kevin McGarr]

That's not quite exact, sir. We were not consulted on all of the components that led to the decision of Transport Canada.

[John McCallum, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

I mean, harmonization is sometimes a good thing, but it's not the be-all and end-all if you're harmonizing to something that's dangerous.

[Kevin McGarr]

I agree, and there were many components to the decision, which is why I believe that Transport Canada would be the appropriate authority to respond to that question.

[John McCallum, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Okay.

On another subject, we understand you're beginning a pilot program of behavioural screening at the Vancouver airport. We also understand that in the United States they had a similar program, which they extended nationally, and they were criticized by the Government Accountability Office for not truly evaluating the results of the pilot. Can you explain how your pilot will work and how you will avoid those problems they had in the U.S?

Also, one point that's important to me is that if people are sort of wandering around the airport locating suspicious-looking people, what criteria do they have and what guarantees are there that this won't degenerate into some sort of racial or religious profiling?

[Kevin McGarr]

CATSA started a pilot program two weeks ago on passenger behaviour observation. CATSA's involvement in this program, this pilot project, is limited to the screening checkpoint and the queueing area, so it is not an airport-wide initiative, but rather focused on the screening checkpoint.

The behaviour officers are trained to identify unusual behaviours for that circumstance, and if unusual behaviours are detected passengers are directed to a secondary screening measure. That is the extent of the program to date. CATSA has committed to document all the interventions that occurred during the pilot project and report back to our regulator, who has also committed to reporting back on the program before it is rolled out nationally.

[John McCallum, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

What sorts of behaviours would be considered unusual?

[Kevin McGarr]

I cannot get into the specific characteristics that are subject to be identified within the program. However, if I can give an example that has already been published in the past, someone appearing at a checkpoint in summer wearing heavy winter clothing would be considered unusual behaviour.