50 percent hike in Canada airport fee

The new security fees to be paid by the Canadian airline passengers will bring in millions of dollars fro the Canadian government. The fee hike for Canadian travelers is being justified by Transport Minister John Baird. 

The minister said the hike is needed to provide increased protection from potential terrorism threats to all Canadian travelers including Canadian immigrants and those having Canadian Citizenship.

The proposed airport security fee hike will bring the charges to $17 from the present fee of $5. This hike will be by $2.58 for one-way 
domestic ticket. 

The extra fee will add C$1.5 billion to the Canadian Air Transportation Security Authority’s budget. This agency is involved in screening of Canadian travelers and their luggage at 89 different airports of Canada by using high-tech body scanners as part of the beefed up security measures. 

The hiked Canadian airport security fee, after its impending approval by the Parliament, will become applicable from April 1, 2010 onwards. 

Baird asserted that although hike in airline security for Canada’s economy were due last year, however, since Canada’s economy was still on the path to recovery, so, the Canadian government could not implement the changes in the fee. 

Baird also added that the expected quarterly results were much better for Canada’s top two airlines including Air Canada and WestJet 
Airlines, so Canada could implement the fee hike. US has already placed increased security measures at US airports and Canada is likely to follow especially after attempted bid by a Nigerian citizen to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner last Christmas. 

Ottawa has recently announced of spending $11 million for buying 44 body-scanners shortly. 

Apart from new scanners, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority will also put into action observational measures for spotting 
suspicious travelers. 

John McKenna, president of the Air Transport Association of Canada, labeled the proposed increase as ‘outrageous’ and criticized the 
additional burden on Canadian travelers. 

The increased airline security fee for Canada travelers will make Canada as the nation with highest traveler security fees globally after the Netherlands, McKenna added.