Canadian Transport Minister David Collenette on Dec. 11 outlined the following details of the wide-ranging air security initiatives contained in the December 2001 budget.
The government of Canada will:
* Create, through legislation, a new Canadian Air Transport Security Authority responsible for the provision of key air security services. The authority will be a federal entity and will report to the minister of transport.
* Enhance pre-board screening at Canadian airports and provide new annual funding of up to CAN$128 million per year. This new funding represents a 78 percent increase over the airlines' expenditures last year for pre-board screening. In addition, the government of Canada will provide up to CAN$10 million this fiscal year to implement immediate improvements to airport screening practices.
* Contribute over CAN$1 billion over the next five years for the purchase, deployment and operation of advanced explosives detection systems (EDS) at airports across the country, covering 99 percent of all air passengers.
* Effective immediately, expand the program of armed police on aircraft that has already been initiated on flights to Washington Reagan National Airport, to cover selected domestic and international flights.
* Develop new standards and regulations for security improvements to aircraft design, and provide up to CAN$35 million to assist with modifications to existing aircraft.
* Make annual contributions for costs associated with aviation security- related policing at major airports and make one-time payments totaling a maximum of CAN$20 million this year for heightened policing and security at airports resulting from the terrorist attacks in the United States.
* Fund further significant increases to Transport Canada staffing associated with aviation security functions, including hiring new inspectors to provide increased oversight of aviation security.
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