Thursday March 22, 2018
For Immediate Release
Toronto, ON – The federal government is seriously considering a plan to privatize the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) as well as imposing new service standards to eliminate lineups at airport security.
“This is simply wrong,” explains IAM Canadian General Vice President Stan Pickthall. “Why hand the service over to a private service provider when all you have to do is give CATSA every dollar earned through user fees. You can’t criticize CATSA for the service it provides when you tie one hand behind its back.”
Currently passengers pay a $7.00 security screening fee for domestic flights and almost $25.00 on international flights. “The problem is the revenue from these fees goes into the general government coffers but CATSA doesn’t receive all of it,” explained Pickthall. “If you want faster service then give CATSA the resources it needs such as additional staff and better equipment, and that requires all of the money from the fees it collects.”
An alternative being considered is to turn CATSA, now a crown corporation, into a not-for-profit entity similar to Nav Canada, the private organization which runs Canada’s air traffic control system. It’s funded by revenues from system users such as airlines rather than federal taxpayers.
“This idea makes no sense, Nav Canada operates on user fees, so does CATSA. But CATSA has to share its revenue with the federal government,” explains Pickthall. “You don’t have to privatize it to fix the problem just stop this shell game with the funding.”
The IAM represents more than 3,600 airport pre-board security screening officers in Toronto and Vancouver and is the largest union in Canada’s air transport sector.
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For further information:
Stan Pickthall – IAM Canadian General Vice President
416-386-1789
Bill Trbovich – IAM Director of Communications for Canada
416-386-1789 Ext #31/416-735-9765
