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CATSA names security screening partners

Services will commence under the new contracts on November 1, 2011 and end March 31, 2017 with an option to extend for up to an additional five years. The following companies will be responsible for delivering screening services at designated airports in Canada:

*Pacific Region: G4S Secure Solutions (Canada) Ltd. (up to $416,170,000 over five years);
Prairies Region: Aeroguard Company Ltd. (up to $431,560,000 over five years);
Central Region: Garda Security Screening Inc. (up to $652,100,000 over five years);
East Region: Securitas Transport Aviation Security Ltd. (up to $481,680,000 over five years).

This four-region model will contribute to the achievement of CATSA's responsibility to provide security screening that is effective, efficient, consistent and in the public interest. By reducing the number of contracts from 17 to four and the number of regions from six to four, CATSA will better streamline its operations and expenditures to make the best possible use of resources while focusing on the customer experience. It will also allow CATSA to better focus its operations and serve to strengthen the service delivery model currently in place with third-party Screening Contractors.

"CATSA is committed to a smooth and seamless transition to the new contracts maintaining the highest levels of security while enhancing the customer experience," declared Kevin McGarr, President and Chief Executive Officer of CATSA.

Screening Contractors need designated and certified screening personnel. Because of that, the changes as a result of the RFP will be, for the most part, changes in the relationship between CATSA and the selected Screening Contractors.

*Pacific Region: designated airports in British Columbia and Yukon;
Prairies Region: designated airports in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Northwest Territories;
Central Region: designated airports in Ontario;
East Region: designated airports in Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Nunavut.
Consult Transport Canada for a complete list of designated airports.

CATSA, established in 2002, is a Crown corporation responsible for:

Pre-board screening – the screening of passengers, their carry-on baggage and their personal belongings;
Hold-baggage screening – the screening of checked baggage;
Non-passenger screening – the screening of non-passengers on a random basis; and
Restricted Area Identity Card – the administration of access control to airport restricted areas through biometric identifiers.