U.S.-Canada Air Agreement To Broaden Flight Options
<B>U.S.-Canada Air Agreement To Broaden Flight Options</B>
By Carolyn Green
Ottawa - An air travel agreement between Canada and the United States allowing pre-clearance at additional Canadian airports could lead to an increase in the number of flights between the two countries and open up opportunities for travel to areas without international airports.
In January, Canada's minister of transport David Collenette and the U.S. ambassador to Canada Gordon Giffin signed an agreement to allow the expansion of pre-clearance services at Canadian airports. Pre-clearance allows U.S.-bound passengers to go through U.S. customs and immigration at a Canadian airport.
The service has been in place only at Vancouver International Airport, though it was permitted at Canada's seven major airports--Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg--prior to the agreement. But with the new pact in place, any of Canada's 22 national and international airports that see the need to offer the service can do so.
"It gives passengers a one-stop entry into the United States from Canada, especially for those who fly to U.S. destinations that don't have customs and immigration officers at the airport," said Colin McKay, a spokesman for the Canadian Department of Transport.
For example, "Fort Myers, Fla., isn't an international airport, so they don't have customs and immigration. But if passengers go through pre-clearance in Toronto, they can take a flight from Toronto to Fort Myers and complete all the necessary inspections in Toronto."
In addition to expanding the number of Canadian airports that offer pre-clearance, the agreement allows reciprocity so that a U.S. airport, if it chooses, can offer pre-clearance to passengers flying to Canada.
McKay said that at this stage no U.S. airport has indicated an interest in offering this service.
Another element to the agreement is the provision for in-transit pre-clearance facilities for passengers traveling to the United States from a third country. In-transit pre-clearance allows passengers to bypass Canadian immigration and customs and report directly to their U.S. counterparts in Canada, although they must stay airside between connections.
Canadian airlines have lobbied for in-transit pre-clearance for some time, viewing it as an opportunity to make Toronto a hub for international travel by U.S. travelers.
"Now it will be much easier for people transiting Toronto," said Robert Milton, Air Canada's president and CEO. "The added simplicity will be a great bonus immediately. Once we get our new terminal, I think Toronto will take a quantum leap forward as a great place to transit on the way to points all over the United States."
The agreement could lead to an increase in potential Canada-U.S. routes flown by Air Canada, Milton said.
In-transit pre-clearance has been available as a pilot project in Vancouver since 1997. Under the new agreement, similar service could be offered in Calgary, Montreal and Toronto.
Bryce Paton, a spokesman for Calgary International Airport, said pre-clearance should be available at the end of 2002, when the airport's inspection services area is expanded.
The Greater Toronto Airports Authority, which operates Pearson International Airport, also plans to install the service when a new terminal opens in 2003. "We are exploring the possibility of offering in-transit pre-clearance specifically in the terminal we are currently building," said Peter Gregg, a spokesman for the GTAA.
Montreal, however, has no plans to offer the pre-clearance service at its airport.