AIRLINE SECURITY FEES TOO HIGH

The Saskatchewan government has joined forces with other western provinces to encourage the federal government to reduce the airline travellers' security charge.

The four provinces have drafted a letter to Federal Finance Minister John Manley, outlining their position on the reduction of the air travellers' security charge. A study recently released by the Air Transport Association of Canada found that security fees, introduced on April 1st, 2002, are discouraging air travel.

"Saskatchewan's economy is highly dependent on short-haul domestic travel between centres like Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Calgary, and Edmonton," Highways and Transportation Minister Mark Wartman said. "The additional costs to business and individuals will likely continue to reduce the number of trips between those centres."

In the letter to the federal government, the western provinces outlined a number of options, including:

a basic charge supplemented by a per distance fee;
a charge based on distance traveled; and
a charge based on ticket price.

The federal government's flat-rate security charge is the highest in the world at $12 for a one-way ticket and $24 for a return ticket regardless of the distance a passenger travels.

"It's difficult to believe we need a higher security charge in Canada than in the United States. The federal government needs to review their fees and associated costs and bring them more in line with actual costs for the safety improvements," Wartman said.

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For More Information, Contact:

Pamela Bishop Highways and Transportation Regina Phone: (306)787-4804