As the interim President and CEO, I have the honour of highlighting CATSA’s achievements over the past year. It is a period that can be defined by operational excellence, outstanding productivity, valuable industry support, and notable success across the country, resulting in advancements in aviation security and enhancements to the passenger experience.
The 2024/25 fiscal year began with a major milestone as our new airport screening services contracts came into effect. Following a seamless transition to the new contracts, we focused on building on past successes and enhancing our approach to managing security screening services. I’m proud to share that this included the introduction of a new facilitator role in July 2024. Today, 176 bilingual facilitators are lending a hand at 16 airports nationwide assisting passengers through the security screening process, ensuring they have accessible service in the official language of their choice.
Building on these enhancements, CATSA launched its 2024-2029 Strategic Plan in October 2024, following a comprehensive strategic planning exercise to identify and refine the organization’s key priorities. This plan represents a collaborative achievement; under the guidance of the Board of Directors, we brought together the invaluable knowledge and expertise of our workforce, partners, and Transport Canada to create a robust roadmap that will focus our activities over the next five years.
Under the plan, our strategic direction is guided by four essential pillars that are already producing tangible results. The pillar, Promoting an Integrated Aviation Ecosystem, highlights the critical role of collaboration across the aviation industry. In 2024, CATSA strengthened its partnerships through enhanced data sharing and strategic alliances, understanding that our success depends on seamless coordination with all partners. Furthermore, we actively contributed to a range of industry and Government of Canada-led initiatives and worked closely with international partners to share best practices. Collectively, these efforts are aimed at improving the end-to-end passenger journey, while ensuring the most effective and efficient security screening services.
Elevating the Client Experience is a pillar centered on enhancing the passenger experience throughout the security screening process. A prime example is CATSA’s ambitious goal to improve its wait time service levels so that 95% of passengers wait less than 15 minutes to be screened at Class 1 airports annually. Through the dedication of CATSA employees, screening contractors and screening officers, CATSA successfully maintained a wait time service level of 97%, throughout the 2024/25 year, achieving and surpassing its new goal.
Our pillar, Driving Innovation, focuses on enhancing security effectiveness and operational efficiency through innovative technologies and processes. This commitment to innovation is exemplified by the deployment of CT X-ray technology at many pre-board security checkpoints across Canada. The introduction of CT X-rays enhances security effectiveness while streamlining the screening process for passengers by allowing them to keep laptops, medical devices and permitted liquids, aerosols and gels in their carry-on baggage. The CT platforms unlock opportunities for leveraging more artificial intelligence in the detection of threats.
Finally, in alignment with the pillar, Investing in our People for Tomorrow, CATSA modernized its three-year Employment Equity Plan, embedding progressive hiring practices that address systemic barriers faced by the four designated minority groups, including women, Indigenous Peoples, members of visible minorities, and persons with disabilities.
Thank you to our CATSA staff, our Senior Management Committee, our Board of Directors, our industry partners, community groups, the screening contractors, and all screening officers who put forth their best effort every day to safeguard Canada’s air transportation system.
On behalf of all CATSA employees, I would also like to thank our outgoing President and CEO, Nada Semaan, for her leadership over the past two years. We wish her all the best in her retirement.
As we move forward, CATSA remains steadfast in its mission to protect the travelling public by providing the highest level of aviation security screening while offering the best possible passenger experience. I am proud of all we have accomplished over the past year and look forward to building on these successes in the year ahead to meet the evolving needs of the aviation industry.
Neil Parry Interim
President and Chief Executive Officer