Momentum and transformation continued to shape CATSA’s operations in 2025/26, with a focus on strengthening security effectiveness, enhancing the passenger journey, and improving efficiency. Efforts included enhancements to the passenger experience, investments in its workforce, and progress on forward-looking innovation that will shape the future of aviation security.
These efforts moved CATSA from planning to action and strengthened its readiness to meet evolving demands.
The following overview highlights the activities undertaken along the four strategic pillars set out in CATSA’s Strategic Plan.
Promote an Integrated Aviation Ecosystem
Collaboration across the aviation ecosystem created a more seamless and inclusive journey for passengers. Working alongside Transport Canada, industry partners, and third party contractors - as well as organizations such as the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, Office of the Chief Accessibility Officer, Canadian Transportation Agency, Communications Security Establishment, Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, Canada Border Services Agency, and Parliamentary Protective Services - shared priorities were reinforced across security, accessibility, and service delivery. This integrated partnership model is critical in a volatile global environment, where rapid operational changes can affect aviation services, including shifts in flight profiles and declines in transborder traffic.
These partnerships supported new screening technologies, strengthened secure data sharing and cybersecurity alignment, and improved coordination across the sector.
Domestic stakeholder engagement
As part of the Domestic Stakeholder Engagement Strategy, CATSA launched a partner newsletter to enhance information sharing, highlight new initiatives, and showcase progress made toward strategic objectives bringing the organization’s story directly to partners.
In June 2025, representatives from the Canadian Airports Council and the National Airlines Council of Canada participated in the strategic meeting of CATSA’s Board of Directors to examine and align on key drivers anticipated to influence CATSA’s long-term strategy. This collaboration enhances strategic direction setting by facilitating the exchange of perspectives and discussion of industry priorities.
Data sharing enhancements
Improving screening operations for passengers requires CATSA to collaborate with third-party contractors to enhance data reporting and information sharing. CATSA developed innovative tools to enhance data sharing and reporting with screening contractors, while maintaining robust compliance and data integrity controls.
Increased Transparency and Accountability
Passenger confidence in security screening services requires transparency and accountability. CATSA launched a public dashboard to share performance indicators such as wait time service levels, passenger feedback, screening volumes, and workforce demographics. The dashboard can be accessed through the Corporate Performance section of the website.
Elevate the Client Experience
Delivering reliable, secure, efficient, respectful, and barrier-free screening services in both official languages is a key commitment. To inform its operations with a deeper understanding of client needs, CATSA engaged with the public and persons with lived experience on a variety of topics, including accessibility and airport improvements.
CATSA’s Service Strategy
A Service Strategy was launched to enhance the passenger experience through initiatives such as the exploration of biometrics to support greater passenger autonomy, enabling a more seamless and client centred screening experience.
Screened traffic and wait time service levels
In 2025/26, CATSA screened over 70.3 million passengers, marking a 2.2% increase from 2024/25. In 2026, global passenger traffic is expected to grow by 4.9% from 2025 levels with the North American region expected to grow by just 1.5%, reflecting prevailing market conditions in the regionFootnote 1 . CATSA expects to screen 74.5 million passengers in 2026/27, reflecting an approximate 6% increase from 2025/26.
Passengers benefited from consistently strong screening performance, with 96% screened within 15 minutes at Class 1 airports, exceeding the 95% target. During peak periods, 91.7% of passengers were screened within 15 minutes, surpassing the 85% service level target.
Passenger experience survey data collected at screening checkpoints reflects sustained progress in delivering a positive, client-focused screening experience. 91% of passengers conveyed satisfaction with their screening experience, including 88% of passengers who utilized CATSA’s Family and Accessible lines. This reflects the deployment of new screening technologies, improved screening capacity at select airports, and efforts made by our screening contractors to optimize the deployment of their screening officers during peak periods.
Supporting airport improvements
Passengers travelling through Calgary International Airport received a streamlined screening experience, with improved domestic passenger flow. Opened on December 10, 2025, the new checkpoint features seven CT X-ray lines at a centralized pre-board screening checkpoint.
Additionally, CATSA collaborated with Kelowna International Airport to enhance terminal services as part of broader infrastructure improvements. This included introducing CT technology to all four screening lines, making Kelowna International Airport the first airport of its size in Canada with full CT deployment. CATSA, Kelowna International Airport, and vendor partners collaborated throughout planning, equipment delivery, installation, testing, and operational preparations to ensure upgraded facilities and improved service quality, resulting in a more comfortable and seamless airport journey for passengers.
Passengers with disabilities and those requiring assistance received more personalized, respectful, and accessible support throughout the screening process, contributing to a smoother and more inclusive airport journey. At Canada’s largest airports, bilingual facilitators provided individualized guidance and assistance at screening checkpoints, helping passengers navigate the process with greater confidence and ease. Feedback on the facilitator program has been overwhelmingly positive, with over 90% of passengers reporting it as helpful or very helpful, noting its meaningful impact on the travel journey.
Community engagement
Comprehensive engagement with the broader community and leveraging feedback is vital to enhancing delivery of CATSA’s mandate. The organization advanced community engagement that supports accessibility and service in both official languages.
As an example, in June 2025, accessibility advocacy organizations, and persons with lived experience joined CATSA for a series of engagement sessions to share insights, and feedback on barriers in security screening and employment. These sessions were well-received and successfully contributed to CATSA’s three-year Accessibility Plan.
Drive Innovation
Supporting a culture of innovation, where continuous improvement, agility, and curiosity are embedded, is essential to the fulfillment of CATSA’s vision that the traveling public and our partners benefit from secure aviation security screening and the best client experience.
CATSA’s Innovation Roadmap positions the organization for sustained performance and resilience through targeted innovation. The roadmap drives operational efficiency, innovation at security screening checkpoints and the workplace, and productivity. Together with the Strategic Plan, the roadmap reinforces innovation as a core enabler of service excellence, workforce effectiveness, and operational performance.
Innovation in service delivery
Passengers benefited from a faster and more intuitive screening experience at major airports, with fewer items needing to be removed from carry-on bags and smoother movement through checkpoints. This improvement stemmed from the replacement of legacy X-ray equipment with CT technology, with 56 CT machines installed at ten major airports in 2025/26. Careful coordination and planning ensured installations were completed efficiently while maintaining service levels and minimizing disruption at airports.
Enhanced boarding pass verification was piloted at select airports in conjunction with airline trials of digital verification services, supporting broader efforts to integrate biometrics across the airport journey. CATSA is working with partners to modernize the airport journey through the implementation of biometric systems, enabling greater passenger autonomy and a more streamlined screening experience.
Additionally, CATSA piloted a modular CATSA Plus concept designed to provide greater flexibility in space-constrained environments, with the objective of supporting operational efficiencies and innovation at smaller airports. These modular screening lines offer adaptable configurations to varying checkpoint layouts, enabling multiple passengers to divest their belongings simultaneously, improving the passenger experience, as well as overall throughput.
In 2025/26, CATSA developed third-party screening officer competencies through innovative training content, developing virtual reality to train screening officers on fundamentals of security screening. These training tools are designed to enhance skills and maintain high standards of security screening.
Training modernization remained a key focus, with updated content and delivery methods introduced for screening officers and employees. These improvements support consistent, high quality screening outcomes and enhance overall workforce readiness.
Artificial intelligence
This year, CATSA worked closely with the regulator to test artificial intelligence (AI) tools aimed at strengthening checkpoint oversight and improving the accuracy of passenger traffic forecasting, helping to maintain consistent service levels during peak periods. Behind the scenes, CATSA has been integrating AI-powered tools to streamline processes, drive additional employee productivity, and enhance internal service delivery while ensuring AI is deployed ethically, securely, and transparently.
Cybersecurity
CATSA deepened its cybersecurity posture in response to evolving threats, working closely with key government partners to prevent and mitigate risks. Guided by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology Cyber Security Framework and informed through partnerships with national leaders such as the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, the organization aligns its investments across technology, processes, people, governance, and executive oversight to safeguard its IT assets, reputation, employees, and the travelling public. Additionally, CATSA’s Cyber Plan 2025 has integrated the Communications Security Establishment’s (CSE) Canadian Centre for Cyber Security Top 10 Security Actions.
In 2025/26, CATSA underwent an audit of select cybersecurity controls and practices, focusing on employee awareness and training. The organization maintains comprehensive mandatory training programs on IT and cybersecurity threats, which have improved employee engagement and preparedness. Moving forward, CATSA will further strengthen and sustain these controls, working closely with government partners to adapt to the evolving cybersecurity threat landscape.
Invest in Our People for Tomorrow
CATSA has been successful at retaining its talented and tenured employees while building a future-ready workforce. Priorities focused on strategic resource planning, systematically identifying and addressing skills gaps, learning and development, and sustained employee engagement.
Fostering excellence and engagement
CATSA implemented initiatives throughout the year that promote respect and equity in the workplace. Through the implementation of its Human Resources Strategic Plan, the organization refreshed its wellness program and enhanced the Employee Recognition Program, reinforcing its focus on employee engagement and maintaining a culture that celebrates success. The program is grounded in CATSA’s core values and highlights outstanding actions and achievements of employees.
In addition, updated official languages, employment equity, and accessibility action plans strengthened the organization’s commitment to bilingualism, accessibility, and building a workforce reflective of Canada’s diverse population.
Strengthening leadership and driving performance
CATSA expanded its leadership development program, with increased emphasis on leadership principles and performance management to support the development of effective, people-focused leaders. Additionally, CATSA aligned the Performance Management Program with the organization’s strategic pillars to promote clarity, consistency, and shared accountability.
Looking ahead, the organization will continue to strengthen these initiatives through supports and targeted training in areas such as new technology, official languages, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. These efforts will help to ensure the workforce remains engaged, resilient, and well-positioned to respond to evolving organizational priorities and operational realities.