This section provides an overview of the activities that occurred in 2024/25 in alignment with our core mandate and the four strategic pillars of CATSA’s Strategic Plan. These activities further contribute to the strengthening of Canada’s aviation system and reflect the organization’s primary focus to screen all passengers in an effective, efficient and respectful manner.
Protecting the Air Travelling Public
CATSA plays a pivotal role in Canada’s aviation system by providing effective and efficient security screening to air travellers. The organization ensures that its screening technologies and procedures contribute to a secure aviation environment and support a seamless end-to-end passenger journey.
As well, collaborative relationships with all industry and government partners are effectively leveraged by sharing information concerning matters of security, wait times, screening innovations, and training. The organization also closely monitors and tests technological advancements to identify opportunities for innovation, including emerging technologies and new screening equipment. This enables CATSA to support the Government of Canada’s priority to build a strong economy through its security screening operations that facilitate a secure and efficient movement of people and goods.
Promote an Integrated Aviation Ecosystem
Collaboration is a key component of our ability to deliver the best service to our clients. Through collaboration and information sharing, we will implement process improvements and realize opportunities for alignment across the aviation system.
Passenger Traffic and Screening Operations
CATSA’s screening operations were supported by over 9,000 screening officers, who screened 68.9 million passengers in 2024/25, reflecting approximately a 4% increase from the 66.3 million passengers screened in 2023/24. Canada’s projected passenger growth rate since the COVID-19 pandemic has been slightly below the global average, standing at approximately 7%, consistent with the United States. The global average growth rate has been 12% year-over-year. Asia Pacific has had the highest projected growth rate, at 17% year-over-year1. CATSA expects to screen 74.4 million passengers in 2025/26, reflecting an approximate 8.0% increase from the 68.9 million passengers screened in 2024/25.
Impact of International Standards on Non-passenger Screening
CATSA has worked closely with airport authorities to prepare for Transport Canada’s new enhanced requirements for non-passenger screening. The new requirements will strengthen aviation security and enable CATSA to align its non-passenger screening program with international standards and best practices that have been established by the International Civil Aviation Organization. CATSA is planning to start implementing the enhanced requirements in spring 2025.
Harmonization and Collaboration with International Partners
CATSA has further collaborated with partners, including airlines and airport authorities, to improve the passenger experience. One such engagement was Aviation Day Canada where CATSA’s President and CEO participated in a panel discussion on the passenger journey and emphasized the importance of collaboration across the aviation sector to elevate the passenger experience. Efforts to advance harmonization with international partners to ensure Canada’s screening operations provide a comparable level of security effectiveness and a common passenger experience remain a priority. In fall 2024, CATSA officials travelled to Germany to meet with German counterparts; CATSA discussed leveraging screening technologies to enhance security effectiveness and other measures to improve accessibility from a client service perspective.
Elevate the Client Experience
Engagement with the public and subject matter experts allows us to conduct our operations with a deeper understanding of the needs of the clients we serve. We recognize the intrinsic value of fostering positive relationships and creating a security screening experience built on a foundation of public trust. We will create a reliable, consistent, respectful, and barrier-free screening experience for all of our clients at designated airports across the country and are committed to learning from our clients to elevate the end-to-end experience.
New Airport Screening Services Agreements
The new Airport Screening Services Agreements (ASSAs) effective April 1, 2024, introduced improvements for travellers, including the creation of the bilingual facilitator role focused on providing dedicated support to those requiring additional assistance. CATSA has worked with its screening contractors to enhance training capabilities, ensuring ongoing development opportunities for new and existing screening officers. The updated ASSAs also enable increased oversight of the provision of services in both official languages. Furthermore, screening contractor recruitment has been strengthened through targeted campaigns and partnerships, leading to a larger pool of qualified bilingual candidates.
Full Body Scanner Lifecycle Management
Improved security effectiveness and more efficient alarm resolution were achieved in 2024/25, as a result of operating full body scanner units with a new gender-neutral algorithm. Passengers experienced improved transit times through screening checkpoints, enabling expeditious movement to airline gates. The new algorithm also resulted in fewer false alarms and fewer passengers being physically searched. This successful initiative aligns with CATSA’s Innovation Roadmap, advancing CATSA’s efforts to strengthen security effectiveness and deliver an inclusive screening experience.
Furthermore, CATSA completed the lifecycle replacement of its fleet of full body scanner units with a newer model in 2024/25. The new full body scanner units have faster processing capabilities and a more compact footprint, allowing for the efficient use of physical space at security screening checkpoints.
Verified Traveller Program
As of March 31, 2025, the Verified Traveller program included 13 lines across nine domestic and international checkpoints that enable passengers who have undergone security background checks, such as those with NEXUS memberships, to benefit from expedited security screening. In addition, CATSA engaged Vancouver International Airport to evaluate the use of digital signature validation as an additional layer of security to confirm the identity of eligible travellers at verified traveller lines that serve transborder checkpoints to the United States. This trial supports ongoing harmonization efforts between Transport Canada and the United States Transportation Security Administration.
Drive Innovation
We believe in a culture of innovation, where idea-generation is essential to addressing emerging challenges and improving upon the status quo. We will embrace innovation through a problem-solving mindset, agility, new processes and technology. With a renewed commitment to sharing our success both internally and externally, we will create an environment where innovation, curiosity, and outside-the-box thinking is not only valued, but celebrated.
Artificial Intelligence Policy
CATSA’s new AI Policy is a key initiative under the Innovation Roadmap, aimed at elevating data analytics capabilities and advancing AI and machine learning. To support this, CATSA created an AI Committee to develop processes for evaluating AI tools and solutions, with a focus on ethics, privacy, and bias. A preliminary project includes exploring the use of AI to improve oversight activities for security screening at non-passenger screening at primary terminal checkpoints, while maintaining the highest security and accountability standards.
CATSA Plus
CATSA Plus has transformed the customer experience by introducing tangible innovations to the screening process while enhancing security effectiveness. Improvements include upgraded X-ray processing capabilities, reduced touchpoints between screening officers and passengers through self-service features, and remote screening, minimizing interactions with travellers who do not trigger alarms during the screening process. As of 2024/25, 91 CATSA Plus lines have been deployed across the 17 largest airports in Canada, enabling more than 60.7% of the travelling public to be screened using CATSA Plus technology. The organization continues to work with airport authorities to identify opportunities to expand CATSA Plus deployment, including the new Modular CATSA Plus concept.
Boarding Pass Security System (BPSS) Biometrics
The BPSS Biometrics trial supports industry and Transport Canada in their efforts to streamline passenger screening processes and facilitate a more seamless end-to-end passenger experience. In collaboration with key partners, Transport Canada and CATSA have been working to conduct this trial of facial recognition biometrics where passengers present their faces at the checkpoint for a biometric scan instead of boarding passes.
Invest in Our People for Tomorrow
Continuous investment in our people is an investment in our future. A key element of our strategy is ensuring that our workforce, as well as third-party screening officers across the country, have the tools and resources to contribute to our collective success.
Improvements to Digital Tools and Cybersecurity
Employees have the resources to more effectively generate customized and automated data reports, strengthening CATSA’s ability to monitor and improve front-line operations. This capability stems from CATSA integration of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) into its data analytics. Employees also completed new training modules to enhance cybersecurity practices and respond to evolving cyber threats.
Supporting Employees and Screening Personnel
CATSA invested in training opportunities to empower employees and screening officers to excel in their roles and grow professionally, while enhancing service delivery. CATSA continued to equip screening officers with resources to deliver services to diverse communities, including training to support the deployment of new technologies, such as CT X-ray units, that will strengthen both security effectiveness and the passenger experience.
In addition, CATSA has been implementing measures that address organizational capacity, including recruitment and retention efforts for positions that train and oversee screening personnel. To better support such critical measures, the organization realigned the reporting structures and responsibilities for the human resources and communications directorates. This realignment has also helped strengthen the implementation of the Employment Equity Plan, launched in January 2025, which aims to improve hiring practices and reduce barriers for women, Indigenous Peoples, visible minorities, and persons with disabilities.
1 Based on the International Air Transport Association’s updated June 2024 Global Outlook.