New COVID-19 Rules for Flights to Canada

Summary#

• The Department of the Environment published a notice under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 saying proposed environmental-occurrence notification agreements with Ontario, Manitoba, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Yukon received no objections during consultation.
• The Department of Transport put a new health-focused rule in place, the Interim Order Respecting Certain Requirements for Civil Aviation Due to COVID-19, No. 71, creating testing, mask, ArriveCAN and record-keeping rules for flights to Canada. This appeared in the Canada Gazette on September 10, 2022.

What it does#

• Environment notice

  • Confirms that no notices of objection or comments were filed during the consultation on the proposed environmental-occurrence notification agreements between the federal government and the listed provinces/territory.
  • The notice does not reproduce the full agreements; it simply reports the consultation result.

• Aviation interim order (key points)

  • Requires private operators and air carriers to tell travellers (before boarding) that they may need to submit a quarantine plan and vaccine information, or contact details, through ArriveCAN.
  • Requires carriers to verify that passengers have submitted ArriveCAN information (an ArriveCAN receipt with a six-character code or QR code is acceptable).
  • Carriers must keep a record if a passenger fails to show ArriveCAN evidence and must inform the Minister; they must retain such records for 12 months and provide a copy to the Public Health Agency of Canada within one hour after the flight departs.
  • Prohibits most foreign nationals from boarding flights to Canada unless they are allowed to enter under a quarantine order.
  • Sets testing rules for flights to Canada:
    • Passengers must show either a negative COVID-19 molecular test performed within 72 hours before scheduled departure, or a negative COVID-19 antigen test performed within one day before scheduled departure.
    • A positive molecular test that was taken at least 10 days and no more than 180 days before departure can also be shown in some cases.
    • These tests generally must be performed outside Canada unless an alternative testing protocol applies.
  • Requires passengers to confirm they are not symptomatic or recently COVID-positive; carriers must observe boarding and may refuse boarding for persons with symptoms or false confirmations.
  • Requires most passengers to be in possession of and to wear a mask during boarding, the flight, and until they enter the terminal; lists limited medical and safety exceptions, and sets mask rules for crew, gate agents and screening staff.
  • Orders screening authorities and carriers to prevent people who refuse to wear masks from passing screening checkpoints or boarding.
  • Requires carriers to notify the Minister if they suspect a passenger provided false or misleading test evidence.
  • Repeals the previous interim order, Interim Order No. 70.
  • Lists monetary penalties for contraventions, with maximum amounts reaching up to $25,000 (many individual-level penalties are $5,000, corporate penalties can be up to $25,000).

Who's affected#

• Travellers planning to fly to Canada from other countries — they must plan tests and ArriveCAN submissions and follow mask rules.
• Private operators, air carriers, gate agents, flight crews and screening authorities at airports — responsible for verifying ArriveCAN receipts, checking test evidence, enforcing mask rules, keeping records and reporting to federal authorities.
• Testing providers and laboratories that perform or verify COVID-19 molecular or antigen tests for international travellers.
• Foreign nationals seeking to board flights to Canada — the order generally bars boarding unless they are permitted entry under quarantine rules.
• The provincial and territorial governments named in the environment notice (Ontario, Manitoba, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Yukon) — they were parties to the proposed notification agreements.

Why it matters#

• For travellers: you may be denied boarding or fined if you don’t have the right test result, ArriveCAN receipt, or if you refuse mask rules. Plan for testing within the specified windows and submit ArriveCAN before travel.
• For airlines and airports: the order adds verification, record-keeping and reporting duties, and potential monetary penalties for failures. That affects pre-boarding checks, staff training and operational steps.
• For public health and border control: the measures aim to reduce the chance that infectious travellers board flights into Canada and to create traces (records) that public authorities can use if there’s a suspected breach.
• For the environment notice: the lack of objections suggests the proposed federal–provincial/territorial notification arrangements can proceed, which could affect how environmental incidents are reported between those governments. The notice itself does not give details of the agreements.