OTTAWA — Canadians travelling by plane to the United States can once again get on board with a piece of luggage in each hand, Transport Canada announced yesterday.
Transport Minister John Baird said that restrictions on carry-on items, put in place in December after the failed terrorist attack by the so-called Underwear Bomber, have been eased but he stressed that both U.S. and Canadian governments have made security a top priority.
“The government of Canada is unwavering in our commitment to implement the most effective measures possible for a safe and secure aviation system, while upholding a level of comfort and convenience for air travellers,” Baird said.
The change to the baggage rule to allow two carry-on items on U.S.bound flights was to go into effect today.
After Umar Abdulmutallab failed to detonate his bomb on a Northwest Airlines plane Christmas Day, security for all travel into the United States was drastically tightened. Even though Abdulmutallab had got on a plane in Amsterdam, bound for Detroit, all travellers boarding U.S.bound flights in Canada were immediately subjected to more searches.
Travellers were also told on Dec. 27 that only one carry-on item could be taken on U.S. flights. The next day, all carry-on items were banned.
On top of all that, travellers were told to stay in their seats during the last hour of any U.S.-bound flight.
Those restrictions were eventually loosened even as government agencies on both sides of the border looked at ways they could improve security while, at the same time, minimize disruptions to passengers.
The biggest change since then on the Canadian side are full-body scanners at major airports and a new tax on air travel the federal government says it needs to help pay for $1.5 billion worth of beefed-up security enhancements.
WSG (Fototrips) Posting news of interest from around the world relating to travel and photography.
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