Transport Committee on April 30th, 2019

[Robert Aubin, NDP, Trois-Rivières, QC]

What gaps are there with regard to security? This is important. If it's not just a matter of time...

[Mark Laroche]

There are no gaps in security. CATSA does its work with regard to security. Now we want to add service to the clientele and reach a level of performance that will guarantee fluidity, so that 95% of those who go through a safety checkpoint will do so within 10 minutes.

Currently, when it takes too long at peak times, people miss their transfers, for instance, in Toronto. The service is not adequate.

[Robert Aubin, NDP, Trois-Rivières, QC]

I travel occasionally and I can certainly understand that. We always want things to go faster.

[Mark Laroche]

Not at the expense of safety, however.

[Robert Aubin, NDP, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Indeed. We agree on that as well.

You are an airport manager and you have to deal with various partners such as passengers, but also with airline companies. They tell us they don't have a preference as to the model, but they find that things are going too fast and that they were not consulted about this. Are we issuing a blank cheque for a transformation, when only half our questions have been answered?

If we really want a model that is similar to NAV CANADA, should we not also use its implementation model, that is to say take the time needed to do things well, together with all of the industry partners?

[Mark Laroche]

That is a good question.

In his bill the minister does not mention a transfer date. For once, we are working with Transport Canada, which has set very ambitious objectives which we may or may not meet. What is important is that this be done with the industry, the airlines and the airports. This will begin once the bill has been passed.

The date...

[Robert Aubin, NDP, Trois-Rivières, QC]

I understand that the minister did not...

[Mark Laroche]

The bill does not mention a transfer date. If the new organization is not ready on day one, the date will be postponed.

[Robert Aubin, NDP, Trois-Rivières, QC]

I understand about the date, but I'd like to know who is included in the “we”. Does that include only airports, or all of the various partners?

[Mark Laroche]

The industry.

[Robert Aubin, NDP, Trois-Rivières, QC]

The industry as a whole.

[Mark Laroche]

Correct.

[Robert Aubin, NDP, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Okay. You are reassuring your colleagues in the first group of witnesses who said that they felt rushed by the process.

[Mark Laroche]

We would be seated on the same side of the table to negotiate with Transport Canada. The airlines and airports will negotiate together, with Transport Canada. We understand and share their fears, but we think that the first step is to adopt the bill.

[Robert Aubin, NDP, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Thank you very much.

We'll go on to Mr. Sikand.

[Gagan Sikand, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

This question is for anyone who wants to answer it: Will having a private entity deliver the screening services compromise security for the air transportation system?

[Stephen Hankinson]

Security is paramount for all of us on the panel today. Our whole industry is successful by being secure, not just by our own definition but international definitions. Given that security threats change globally all the time, CATSA does a fabulous job, along with Transport Canada, in staying ahead of that. This would in no way jeopardize what we've enjoyed to date in terms of a secure aviation sector.

[Gagan Sikand, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

In terms of the standards, would the standards be changed, the goalposts?

[Stephen Hankinson]

The standards are set by Transport Canada. They are regulated in terms of the protocols and the practices necessary to ensure a safe and secure industry, so the DSA would adhere to that.

The opportunity is for us to work together between the DSA and Transport Canada to pursue how we go beyond what is minimum, to ensure that customers remain satisfied that their aviation sector is secure and that we're competitive globally.

[Daniel-Robert Gooch]

The way the organization is structured today, it is really impeded in its ability to plan long term, which also impacts the organization's ability to invest in the technologies that are being developed in other parts of the world that may be better from a security perspective as well.

We're impeded in our ability to take advantage of the latest technologies because the organization can't plan or invest long term.

[Ferio Pugliese]

Further to earlier comments with respect to unintended consequences, I think what should be made clear here is that in the event of a transfer of assets happening at quite a cost, what my colleague just mentioned around reinjecting funds and research into improved processes, and so on, will be significantly inhibited. If that is not done correctly, you won't have the funding or the resources to do that, hence the reason for our apprehension as an airline industry.

I want to stress that, because those rates, charges and fees appear on our tariffs. That is an unintended consequence that occurs with all of this, where the cost of air travel becomes more expensive. In essence, what's happening here is you're having the travelling public pay for an asset that they already own, and they're going to be paying for it again as this gets transferred over.

You're going to be using revenue through this system to offset that cost, and there will be nothing left behind to improve the service and meet the intentions of this committee and what this new entity is designed to do, which is to create a facilitation process for passengers that is world class.

[Mark Laroche]

On the question of cost, we have the same apprehension as the airlines, but our starting point will be the unamortized cost of the asset. We don't necessarily agree that the passenger has paid for it. We may have overpaid for CATSA service in the past, but an unamortized cost is not paid yet. That's why we are asking Finance and TC to be reasonable in their asks.

[Gagan Sikand, Liberal, Mississauga—Streetsville, ON]

I'm going to jump back in because there's a large panel.

I heard some names—Hong Kong, Heathrow—and I can appreciate that there's the IATA, but there's a lot of variance between screening. I've gone places where I've walked in with my shoes. There are others where I have to go in the body scanner. Recently I was screened when entering the airport and then, before the beautiful boutiques and concourse, I was screened again. There's a lot of variance.

This is a two-part question, and then I'll be out of time. What is the need to change our screening procedure, and then, is there a regime that has it right that we should model ourselves after?

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Give a short answer, please.