Appearance at TRAN: Supplemental Mandate Letter and on the pre-entry testing requirements

KEY DATES FOR AVIATION SECURITY COVID-19 MEASURES

  • March 13, 2020 – Global Affairs Canada issued an official global travel advisory to avoid non-essential travel abroad.
  • March 18, 2020 – Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued to funnel scheduled overseas passenger flights to four Canadian airports (Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver).  Exception for flights from the United States, Mexico, Central America, South America, and from St. Pierre-et-Miquelon
  • March 18, 2020 - Air operators must not permit a foreign national who has been outside of the U.S. or Canada in the last 14 days to board an international flight to Canada, in accordance with the PHAC Orders-in-Council restrictions and exceptions.
  • March 19, 2020 - Mandatory health checks for travellers inbound to Canada (Questions include asking if traveller had COVID-19 symptoms including fever, cough or difficulty breathing)
  • March 21, 2020 – Following Government of Canada announced restrictions on border entry restrictions, air operators must notify foreign nationals boarding a flight to Canada from the U.S. that they may be prohibited from entering Canada under an emergency order made pursuant to the Quarantine Act.
  • March 27, 2020 – Air operators must not permit a foreign national who does not provide or refuse to provide the confirmation that to the best of their knowledge, that they are not prohibited from entering Canada under the emergency order.
  • March 30, 2020 - Mandatory health checks for travellers boarding a flight in Canada.
  • April 20, 2020 - The compulsory wearing of non-medical masks during security screening, and while boarding, and on board the aircraft (with limited exceptions).
  • June 17, 2020 - The compulsory wearing of non-medical masks during deplaning (with limited exceptions).
  • July 9, 2020 - Temperature screening - Phase 1: All passengers flying to Canada.
  • July 30, 2020 - Temperature screening – Phase 2: All passengers departing the 4 busiest airports in Canada and for non-passengers entering restricted areas at these airports.
  • Sep 23, 2020 – Temperature screening – Phase 3: All passengers departing the next 11 busiest airports in Canada and for non-passengers entering restricted areas at these airports.
  • November 4, 2020 - Air operator notification to passengers traveling to Canada of the need to submit COVID-related information digitally, effective Nov 21, 2020, through the ArriveCAN app prior to boarding their flight to Canada. This information is related to contact tracing and quarantine plans in Canada.
  • November 9, 2020 - New provisions to ease the requirements for wearing face masks for young children (making allowance for children between 2 and 5 years, where they are unable to tolerate it), based on the November 3 update from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).
  • December 17, 2020 - Amendments to ease temperature screening requirements for non-passengers entering restricted areas of the airport multiple times per day, when temperature has already been taken earlier the same day and can be verified (use of once-a-day bracelets)
  • January 7, 2021 – In support of PHAC’s Quarantine, Isolation and other Obligations Order (QIOO), new provisions requiring all passengers five years of age or older to present a negative molecular COVID-19 test result prior to boarding a flight to Canada (with limited exceptions).
  • January 19, 2021 – Amendments to reduce temporary exceptions made for flights departing from certain countries/or territories where additional flexibility for molecular COVID-19 testing had been allowed.
  • February 1, 2021 – New provisions to allow air carriers to accept a residual positive COVID-19 molecular test result, to align with changes made to PHAC’s QIOO on January 21, 2021.
  • February 4, 2021 – Expansion of the NOTAM to flights from the United States, Mexico, Central America and South America. All scheduled international commercial passenger flights, international business/private operator flights and international charter passenger flights must now land at one of four Canadian airports (Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver).  Flights from St. Pierre et Miquelon remain exempted from the NOTAM.