First, let me express that it is an honour to join the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) as Chairperson of the Board of Directors as the organization undertakes its third decade of operations. Since its inception in 2002, CATSA’s mandate has been to provide the highest level of security to the travelling public and our goal has always been to deliver the screening services of air travellers and their baggage as effectively and efficiently as possible.
The 2023 Annual Report speaks to the heart of CATSA: always rising to the challenge with its mandate firmly in the line of sight. The past year was one of the most difficult the aviation industry has faced in some time. It saw passengers return to the skies in numbers far beyond any global or domestic aviation industry projections. This surge in passenger volumes, on the heels of the lifting of COVID-19 travel restrictions, alongside tight labour market conditions, resulted in increased wait times for security screening at some airports across the country in the lead up to summer 2022.
Over the course of the last year, under the leadership of my predecessor, Ms. Marguerite Nadeau, the Board of Directors actively worked with senior management on staffing challenges and wait-time-service-levels in preparation of, and during, the peak summer travel period. Through collaboration with all its air transportation partners, CATSA staff, screening contractors and screening officers worked tirelessly to effectively respond to these service delivery challenges. A key component of CATSA’s response was to quickly mobilize efforts with screening contractors to recruit, train and deploy thousands of screening officers to meet operational demands – efforts that continued throughout 2022 and into 2023. Between April and August 2022 alone, CATSA accelerated the hiring and training of over 1,800 screening personnel. Through these intensive efforts, we were able to reduce wait times for travellers early on in the summer season and normalize them for the remainder of the year.
This past year, CATSA continued to put a strong focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. These are values that CATSA upholds, both within the organization and in the way we deliver our service to travellers. We have been proud to partner with an Indigenous organization to develop and deploy training and learning to all screening officers, management and CATSA employees. And we actively consulted with individuals with reduced mobility for training modules that have just been launched for screening officers across the country. CATSA also developed its first Accessibility Plan that outlines the policies, programs, practices and services that will be implemented in support of a barrier-free workplace and security screening experience.
In addition, to support the federal government’s strategy to combat climate change, CATSA has worked towards the adoption of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures Standards and the reporting of climate-related financial risks.
The Board of Directors continued to provide ongoing oversight on CATSA’s risks. One such area of risk is an increase in cyber-security threats faced by organizations worldwide. In recognition of this, the Board of Directors and members of the management team took part in a cyber-security exercise to ensure readiness at all levels and in all areas of CATSA.
As we look ahead to 2023 and beyond, the Board of Directors and CATSA management are fully committed to working with all partners across the aviation industry to increase communication and collaboration in order to offer the highest levels of security screening, while providing the best possible passenger service and experience. We will continue to ensure that our services are respectful of diversity and that our staff is reflective of the Canadian population. The additional funding that CATSA received from the Government of Canada allows us to focus on longer-term planning and I am confident that the entire team at CATSA has a strong foundation of knowledge, expertise and experience to work from and build on to successfully deliver its mandate.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank CATSA’s outgoing President and CEO, Michael Saunders, for his years of service. CATSA greatly benefitted from his strong leadership, skills and dedication and we wish him well in his retirement. I also wish a warm welcome to CATSA’s new President and CEO, Nada Semaan. Her leadership, extensive experience and knowledge will undoubtedly help achieve the organization’s objectives. The Board of Directors and I look forward to working alongside Ms. Semaan to ensure that CATSA is well positioned for the future and continues to successfully fulfill its mandate.
Finally, I would like to extend my gratitude to the entire CATSA team, all screening officers and the screening contractors – all of whom demonstrated true and unwavering dedication, resilience and professionalism throughout 2022 – and to the members of the Board of Directors for their ongoing dedication to aviation security and to the continuous improvement of services to the travelling public. As the new Chair, I look forward to working closely with the Board of Directors and senior management, Transport Canada officials and all our other partners in the years to come. Working together, I know we can effectively navigate future challenges by building on the experiences, lessons and successes gained over the years.
Thao Pham
Chairperson