Canada Lifts Enhanced Security Air Protocols for Travelers Heading to India

November 22 :
The new increased security protocol for travellers to India from several Canadian airports has been removed, which is a relief for members of the Indian diaspora. Extra screening requirements that were put in place earlier this week for visitors going for India have already been eliminated, according to Canadian Transport Minister Anita Anand.

Transport Minister Anita Anand announced earlier this week that, "out of an abundance of caution," the ministry responsible for civil aviation and transportation would temporarily impose stricter security measures for all international travelers entering India.

Travelers from Canada heading to India will be relieved to hear this news, particularly during the winter months of November and December, when many Indian Canadians like to visit family and celebrate special occasions like weddings, rural sports festivals, and, later on, traditional festivals like Lohri, Basant Panchami, and Vaisakhi.

The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) has been ordered to examine all passengers and their bags more thoroughly before they board flights to India. Prior to passengers accessing the restricted post-security boarding areas, the checks were supposed to take place.

A "hoax" call last month claimed that an Air India flight traveling from New Delhi to Chicago had a "bomb" on board, forcing the pilots to divert the flight to Iqaluit instead. There was no explosive device discovered on board. At about 5:20 a.m. on October 15, the Air India flight, which was damaged by bombs, landed in Iqaluit as an emergency.

The news was made by Transport Canada, much to the disappointment of passengers traveling to India, because the once-friendly governments' diplomatic relations had been deteriorating for over a year. There are over two million Indians residing in Canada. With this disclosure, the RCMP continued their investigation into allegations that Indian government officials were involved in a number of violent crimes committed in Canada, including murder, extortion, and intimidation. The flurry of "hoax calls" regarding "bombs" on board of several Indian airlines, both domestically and internationally, was another provocation that caused Transport Canada to implement additional security inspections.