In July 2015, the Government of Canada announced new regulations allowing airports that don’t have access to CATSA security screening services to obtain them on a cost-recovery basis.
Security N prices soar for regional airports
ew Canadian airports are now expected to front the full costs of the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) operations. These services are responsible for the security screening of air passengers, their baggage, and the screening of airport employees.
By Samara Funk
Airport locations that have been operating prior to the attacks of September 11, 2001, do not require any CATSA designation start-up costs or ongoing operational costs because they are completely funded by large international airports. This creates difficulty competing with funded airports because the hefty CATSA costs are too high for many regional airports to implement. Robert Blais, airport manager of Bromont's Roland-Désourdy Regional Airport, says, “The CATSA estimate for our airport’s first year, including the installation of the equipment, training, and hiring of staff was approximately $2 million. In addition to the start-up cost, we were quoted about $1 million per year to maintain it.”
In order to compensate for the high CATSA installation and operational costs, small airports, like the Bromont's Roland-Désourdy Regional Airport, would need to triple their ticket prices depending on the volume of passengers using their airports annually.
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Alberta Airports Management Association • 2018
To compensate for the high CATSA installation and operational costs, small airports would need to triple their ticket