Pearson’s stowaway response a secret

Authorities won’t say what measures will be put in place at airport

Uneasy air travellers might wonder, but authorities won’t tell them how officials bolstered security after a man entered the grounds of Pearson airport, boarded an aircraft and hid in a compartment.

Transport Canada, which enforces safety and security standards at the country’s airports, says Pearson and Copa Airlines of Panama have outlined unidentified “measures” to avoid such a breach of security again.

“Transport Canada will be following up on corrective measures to ensure they are being implemented,” said Maryse Durette, a senior media relations adviser for the department. “The details of the corrective measures are confidential for security reasons.”

A Peel Regional Police canine unit found 33-year-old Trevor Kendall in an overhead bin on a Copa aircraft in a “remote” part of the airport after he snuck past security checkpoints on April 16. The unit also checked for explosives before the aircraft’s flight to Panama.

Kendall remained in jail until an Ontario court found him guilty on May 17 of two counts of break and enter and obstructing a peace officer. He received credit for his time in jail and spent an additional day behind bars before release. Durette would not disclose any information about possible fines or other penalties as a result of the incident at Pearson. Bruce Cran, president of the Consumers Association of Canada, said travellers are entitled to a full explanation about what specific action Transport Canada took to secure their safety and make sure there is no repeat of such a breach. “Canadians travelling in and out of Canada deserve the most transpar- ent information possible to maximize the faith they have in the system,” he said. “Inquiries that are completely denied for security reasons do little to increase confidence for air travellers.” Harry Gow, founder of Transport Action Canada, a citizen transportation advocacy group, said he understands the government has to be discreet about security issues, but it should provide some information to travellers. “A modicum of general information would be reassuring for the travelling public in a case like this,” he noted. Another Transport Canada spokesperson suggested that the Star submit a request for more details through the federal Access to Information Act.

But federal information commissioner Suzanne Legault reported last week that Transport Canada was one of three government departments that has done an “unsatisfactory” job in responding to requests. Scott Armstrong, manager of media and communications for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, which operates Pearson, said he had no information regarding disciplinary action against any company or individual relating to the incident.

“It’s not something we make public anyway,” he added.