Canadian Travel Number and Screening Changes

Summary#

These final regulations (SOR/2022-225) make small but practical changes to the Secure Air Travel Regulations and the Designated Provisions Regulations. They clarify how the new identifier called the Canadian Travel Number must be offered and collected, reduce some duplicate data reporting by airlines, and push back the deadline to destroy old watch-list files to March 4, 2023. The regulations were registered on October 28, 2022 and published in the Canada Gazette on November 9, 2022.

What it does#

• Defines the Canadian Travel Number (CTN) and replaces the old “unique identifier” wording.
• Requires air carriers to give passengers an opportunity to provide their Canadian Travel Number when they make a reservation and again at check-in, and to collect it when provided.
• Removes the need for airlines to resend the same passenger data at check-in if it was already sent 72 hours before departure.
• Limits when airlines must contact government staff during system outages. They now need to report only significant changes that matter for screening (for example, major name or date-of-birth changes or new/changed CTNs).
• Confirms that the government can collect passenger information that airlines voluntarily send for flights that are technically exempt from the rule, so the centralized screening system can process that data.
• Extends the deadline for airlines to permanently remove old copies of the passenger watch list from their systems to March 4, 2023.
• Updates the Designated Provisions Regulations to allow administrative penalties for failing to offer or collect CTNs. The maximum penalties added are $5,000 for individuals and $25,000 for corporations for each relevant failure.

Other operational clarifications:

• Check-in identity checks and what happens if identification doesn’t match a reservation are clarified. Airlines must verify ID at check-in and not issue a boarding pass if there’s a discrepancy until the government responds.
• The rules allow limited alternative ID checks when documents were lost or stolen, if accompanied by government or police documentation attesting to the loss.

Who's affected#

• Air carriers that operate passenger flights to, from, or within Canada. These are the main parties who must change booking and check-in systems and procedures.
• Travelers who think they might be flagged because their name is similar to someone on the watch list. The Canadian Travel Number gives them a way to reduce false matches.
• Federal agencies involved in the Passenger Protect Program: Public Safety Canada, Transport Canada, and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), which run the centralized screening and coordinate with airlines.
• If an airline fails to offer or collect CTNs as required, that airline (or responsible individuals at the airline) could face administrative penalties of up to $5,000 (individual) or $25,000 (corporation).

Why it matters#

• For most travelers these are small, behind-the-scenes changes. But for people whose names are similar to someone on the government’s watch list, the Canadian Travel Number can reduce delays and wrongful boarding denials.
• Airlines will do less redundant data transmission, which eases their technical burden and aligns Canada with international practice (sending passenger data once unless it changes).
• The extra time to destroy old watch-list copies gives carriers affected by COVID-19 more time to finish switching to the government’s centralized screening system without leaving a gap in security checks.
• The added penalty rules mean airlines have a clearer financial incentive to follow the CTN collection rules.