Canada eases flight security curbs, allows one carry-on bag on United States-bound flights

The government of Canada has eased rules for flying to the United States by allowing passengers to take one carry-on bag on US-bound flights.

Canada had tightened security steps – which included physical searches at the gate of the aircraft and a ban on any carry-on bags – after a Nigerian man attempted to bomb a plane of the United States-based Northwest Airlines flying from Amsterdam in the Netherlands to Detroit in the United States on December 25, 2009. The would-be bomber is suspected to have links with the terrorist outfit al-Qaeda.

In a statement, Transport Canada – the department of the government of Canada that is responsible for regulations, policies and services of the transportation sector in Canada – said the size of the one carry-on bag allowed on the US-bound flights should not exceed 23 cms by 40 cms by 55 cms.

According to the new security rules in place after in incident in the Detroit-bound plane on Christmas Day, air passengers bound for the United States could also carry with them one purse, or a camera-bag, or a briefcase, or a laptop computer along with the carry-on bag. However, the passengers are required to pack all their personal items – such as books and magazines, medical prescriptions, and personal electronic devices – in the carry-on bag before going through the security checks.

Since more people from Canada than other nations travel to the United States each day, the stepped up security steps had resulted in a lot of confusion and outrage in  Canada’s airports.

John Baird, Transport Minister of Canada, said Canada is introducing full-body scanners to ensure that there is foolproof security and that the government is buying 44 imaging scanners to be set up at airports across the country.

These imaging scanners, John Baird added, will search passengers by using electromagnetic waves that scan a person through his clothing in order to detect hidden objects.

The Transport Minister said in an official release that even as the Canadian government is “strongly committed” to ensuring that air travel to and from Canada is secure and safe, it will also see to it that the passengers have a “reasonable level” of convenience and comfort while they travel.

Canada has also been put on alert after it received intelligence reports that terrorists are attempting to sneak into the United Stats through Canada. Intelligence agencies from the United States and the United Kingdom had warned Canada earlier in January 2010 that 20 terrorists trained in Yemen are trying to slip into North America.

It may be noted that Canada has, many a time, come under fire for slackness in security at the Canada-US borders. There are a lot of people in the United States who still think that the terrorists responsible for the September 11, 2001, attacks entered the US from Canada.