Canada Vows to Keep Flights Off U.S. No-Fly Lists

June 2, 2005
The Candadian transport minister is fighting to keep Washington from getting Canadian passenger lists for domestic flights that stray into U.S. airspace.

OTTAWA (CP) -- The price of airline tickets between Canadian cities could go up if the United States implements an anti-terrorist strategy that would force domestic airlines to fly new routes far north of the American border, Transport Minister Jean Lapierre said Wednesday.

The minister said he is fighting hard to keep Washington from getting its hands on Canadian passenger lists for domestic flights that stray into U.S. airspace.

But if he fails, added Lapierre, Canadian carriers might have to take pains to avoid conventional routes that cross over northern U.S. states.

Calling it a ''very hot issue,'' Lapierre said Washington hasn't finalized its proposed new rules but he's already lobbying to protect Canadians' privacy.

''I'm very worried about it,'' Lapierre said outside the Commons.

''We don't think it's a good idea that Canadians travelling from one city to another would have to be checked under the American no-fly list.''

Washington warned recently that, as an added security measure against terrorism, it intended to require that all foreign airlines passing over the U.S. check the names of passengers against American government watch lists.

The proposal would mostly affect airlines in Canada and Mexico, since flights within those countries have the greatest chance of passing over American states.

Lapierre reckons that as many as two-thirds of the roughly 278,000 flights within Canada each year likely cross into American airspace at some point.

To save time and fuel, flights from Montreal to Halifax pass over Maine, while flights on the Toronto-Calgary route almost always cut across northern U.S. states.

''Our majority cities are right on the border, so if the winds push you this way, you will be over the American airspace,'' said Lapierre.

If Washington's proposed new regulation is allowed to stand, that could force Canadian air carriers to find new - and longer - routes further north of the American border, he added.

''We would have to take a northern route, which would be much more expensive.''

Washington is pushing its way into Canadian security matters where it doesn't belong, said NDP Leader Jack Layton.

''This is certainly a step towards the kind of deeper integration between our two countries that I think a lot of Canadians are concerned about.''

The proposed American change stems from an incident April 8 when U.S. authorities denied a KLM Amsterdam-to-Mexico flight the right to fly over U.S. airspace after learning that two Saudi passengers aboard the plane were on Washington's ''no-fly'' list of suspected terrorists.

The Dutch carrier has said it was five hours into its flight and was in Canadian airspace when American authorities refused it entry.

The plane, a reconfigured Boeing 747 carrying 278 people and 15 horses, returned to Amsterdam and the Saudi passengers, who weren't charged with any crime, ultimately returned home.

Lapierre said he intends to lobby his U.S. counterpart, Transport Secretary Norman Mineta, while Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan will also press American authorities for a Canadian exemption.

While the U.S. has the right to control its own airspace, it should cut Canada some slack because of long-standing security arrangements, said Lapierre.

''We've been partners in the airspace and I think we should continue that way,'' he said.

''What that means is, I think when we have Canadians travelling from one city to another in Canada, I think there's no risk involved. I think we should not have to submit to the American list.''

And if Washington insists?

''We will insist, too.''

Currently, Washington's rules require foreign carriers actually landing at U.S. airports to provide passenger and crew lists within 15 minutes of taking off.

The names are then checked by U.S. authorities against their own lists of potential terrorists, to protect against a recurrence of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 when hijackers flew planes into buildings.