Airline passengers going to the United States from Canada's busiest airport faced added security on Tuesday, but airport authorities deny the new measures were causing any significant delays.
The new security is mandated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It requires that all passengers who need passports to travel to the United States _ Canadians and Americans are excluded _ to provide the country of origin for their passport, its expiry date, and an address for the first night of stay in the U.S.
"We've had a busy morning, some sporadically long lineups, but it's not been a constant," said Air Canada spokeswoman Laura Cooke. "We've not taken any delays specifically. It's not affected our flight schedules."
One traveler bound for New York said there were long lines Tuesday morning at express check-in kiosks at Terminal 2, where U.S.-bound flights are boarded. He estimated the added check-in time was 30 to 45 minutes.
But both the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, which manages the country's busiest airport, and Air Canada, said there were no significant delays. Authority spokeswoman Connie Turner said travelers do not have to allow extra time for check-in.
"If passengers believe they have to allow extra time at the airport, that will just cause congestion if people are arriving an hour before they need to," said Turner.
All airlines and airports in Canada were subject to the new security measures.
Canadians and American are not required to have passports to travel between their countries _ something currently under debate by intelligence officials _ though airlines are required to ask passengers for their citizenship and birth certificates.
The Air Canada Web site encourages passengers to provide this information online and was giving away 250 air miles as an incentive.
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