December 1, 2021 In response to the news announced yesterday of a return to 100 per cent arrivals testing of all international travellers to Canada from all countries except the U.S, the Canadian Airports Council has the following statement:

“Canada’s airports appreciate the Government of Canada’s swift move to implement new measures to guard against further spread of the Omicron variant in Canada,” said Canadian Airports Council President Daniel-Robert Gooch. “We urge the Government of Canada to work with Canada’s airports and air carriers in the coming hours to ensure these  measures, which haven’t been seen in detail, are operationally feasible at Canada’s international airports. The only operationally-feasible way to test 100 per cent of international arriving travellers — from all countries except the U.S. — is to provide off-site tests, such as those that travellers can take at their home or other point of self-isolation.

“We also must ensure there is sufficient testing capacity to implement this across all of the traveller groups that now will be required.

“All of Canada’s air travellers and air sector workers are required to be fully vaccinated,” Mr. Gooch continued. “Our air sector is fully vaccinated, and operating in one of the most vaccinated countries in the world. Travel and border measures should be commensurate with the health risk and acknowledge Canada’s tremendous achievement in getting Canadians vaccinated against COVID-19.”

For more information contact

Debra Ward

613 850 9118

Debra.ward@cacairports.ca