Mounties are now helping to ease commuter chaos at Canada's major airports, as airline officials enact tough new restrictions for flights headed to the United States. Transport Minister John Baird called the RCMP Sunday night, and asked that officers be stationed at Canada's largest airports to help speed up security checkpoints.
The new restrictions came after the attempted Christmas Day bombing of a U.S. airline.
U.S.-bound passengers are no longer able to bring carry-on bags into the cabin of the aircraft, according to Transport Canada. The only items passengers may carry are:
- medication or medical devices
- small purses
- cameras
- coats
- items for care of infants
- laptop computers
- crutches
- canes
- walkers
- containers carrying life-sustaining items
- a special-needs item
- musical instruments, and
- diplomatic or consular bags
"Additional searches of passengers and their exempted items will continue. Delays can be expected so passengers are advised to arrive at the airport three hours in advance of their scheduled flight," Transport Canada said in a statement. "These measures are expected to be in place at least for several days."
Besides the usual pre-boarding security checks that have been in place since 2001-- such as restrictions on liquids and gels in carry-on bags -- the new checks include additional physical pat-downs of passengers.
The long line-ups that marked Sunday appeared to be shorter at most flight centres in Canada on Monday, and most flights to the U.S. are departing on time. That's in contrast to Sunday, when dozens of flights to the U.S. were cancelled or delayed. At Pearson International Airport alone -- Canada's busiest airport -- more than 160 flights were cancelled. Those that did go were typically delayed by one to five hours.
On Monday, Pearson officials said operations were running more smoothly, after Air Canada consolidated some flights and operated larger aircraft on certain routes.
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