A new program will let travellers skip lines at Calgary International Airport

Some air travellers will have a much easier time navigating long lines and crowds at Calgary International Airport, thanks to a new program promising faster and more efficient screening experiences for eligible travellers at Canada’s busiest airports.

The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority’s (CATSA) new Verified Traveller program was announced last month by federal Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra and it aims to streamline airport crowding ahead of the busy summer travel season.

The new Verified Traveller program takes effect at YYYC today, replacing the previous Trusted Traveller Program that allows select passengers to use new dedicated fast-tracked lines and queues.

An update from the previous program, the new measure will expand lines where eligible travellers are offered time-saving benefits during security screenings, like keeping their laptops, electronics, and compliant gels and liquids in their carry-on baggage, and not being forced to suffer the indignity of removing shoes and belts.

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These perks will apply to members of the Nexus and Global entry programs, as well as active members of the Canadian Armed Forces and US military, including reservists, aircrew and airport workers, and law enforcement.

One of the biggest changes allows eligible travellers accompanying children who are 17 years of age and younger, and adults who are 75 years of age and older, to join their travel companions in these faster-moving lines, provided they are booked on the same reservation.

Transport Canada claims that its “Verified Traveller program will help ease congestion over time, as use of dedicated Verified Traveller lines grows.”

Eligible travellers will now be able to access these lines at the domestic and international checkpoints at Calgary International Airport.

The move comes as officials hope to relieve the crowds and prevent the mayhem witnessed across Canada during a perfect storm of travel demand and understaffed airports that plagued operations in mid-2022.

With files from Jack Landau and Allison Stephen