Editor’s Note: With many Canadians, along with Central and South Americans, planning to fly to Florida for the AAU International Tournament in January, keep in mind the additional security measures and limitations on carry-on luggage.
TORONTO – It’s the busiest time of the season to fly and now there will be more delays and added security – including pat-down searches.
The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority has tightened security at airports after a man tried to blow up a plane in the U.S., said Trish Kale, with the Greater Toronto Airport Authority.
“They put in new regulations limiting two carry-on bags to one and passengers will have added security checks,†Kale said.
Farouk Abdul Mutallab was on a Northwest Airlines plane flying from Amsterdam to Detroit when he attempted to set off an explosive device as the plane was landing.
WestJet has announced it is working in cooperation with the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority.
“All guests on flights bound to the United States will be subject to a secondary search,†said WestJet spokesman Robert Palmer.
“Every guest on flights to the United States will be required to submit to a physical pat-down search and carry-on luggage, which will be limited to one bag per guest, will be searched by hand.â€
Passengers travelling to the U.S. are advised to arrive at the airport early because of the extra checks being performed.
U.S.-bound flights on all airlines are experiencing significant delays, said Duncan Dee with Air Canada.
“At this time, we are asking for the cooperation of our U.S.-bound customers to minimize the inconvenience on themselves by limiting their carry-on items to the absolute minimum or even to travel with no carry-on items if possible,†Dee said.
“This temporary carry-on policy will assist security officers at the gate in screening customers more quickly and thereby minimize delays for passengers to the extent possible.â€
kevin.connor@sunmedia.ca