How airports have changed since 9/11

RICHMOND (NEWS1130) – The 9/11 terror attacks changed the way we fly, both within Canada and to other countries. The way you and your belongings are screened has since become the responsibility of a national body.

Before bottled water and tweezers were forbidden from your carry-on, Canadian Air Transport Security Authority was created; CATSA was part of Canada’s response to the terror attacks.

“Before 9/11 the screening was performed more at the local level, at the airport level,” explains Mathieu Larocque with CATSA. “We are a national organization that brings a national perspective to screening of passengers at all of Canada’s airports.”

He believes passengers have now accepted the new reality. “They think that security is better and they think that the procedures that are in place make them feel secure about flying.”

Larocque says CATSA’s goal is to keep improving screening to process the highest number of passengers at peak times while ensuring the highest levels of security. He adds the organization continues to look at how to refine its processes to make screening more efficient and convenient.

How YVR security has changed

YVR has spent $200,000 on security upgrades in the 10 years following 9/11. And there’s a lot more to it than body scanners and passenger bag checks.

Don Ehrenholz is YVR’s VP of Operations and Engineering. He says 90 per cent of post-9/11 security upgrades happened behind the scenes. “YVR tried to take the approach of making it as covert or invisible as possible.”

“So there are systems, lots of extra cameras, lots of extra technology in the complex, too,” he adds. “[We] make it as unobtrusive as possible.”

Ehrenholz isn’t sure we’ll ever acclimatize to heightened security, but he believes YVR’s understated approach makes passengers feel safe, discreetly.

He says YVR now has the latest and best technologies for screening and observing passengers, employees, and aircraft; he considers the airport a very safe place to fly from.

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