CATSA delivers the mandate of security screening at 89 designated airports across the country through a third-party screening contractor model. Playing a key role in Canada’s civil aviation system, CATSA is responsible for the delivery of the following four mandated activities:
Pre-board screening (PBS)
The screening of passengers, their carry-on baggage and their belongings prior to their entry to the secure area of an air terminal building.
Hold baggage screening (HBS)
The screening of passengers’ checked (or hold) baggage for prohibited items such as explosives, prior to being loaded onto an aircraft.
Non-passenger screening (NPS)
The random screening of non-passengers such as flight personnel, ground crew and airport employees, and their belongings (including vehicles and their contents) entering restricted areas at the highest-risk airports.
Restricted area identity card (RAIC)
The system which uses iris and fingerprint biometric identifiers to allow non-passengers access to the restricted areas of airports. The final authority that determines access to the restricted areas of an airport is the airport authority.