Taiwan to waive security checks for transit passengers from Canada

Taipei, Aug. 21 (CNA) Transit passengers from Toronto and Vancouver airports will soon be exempt from security screening at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, the Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said Thursday.

The new policy will take effect on Sept. 1, exempting not only the transit travelers but also their carry-on luggage from security checks, which will help to speed up the process of making connecting flights, the CAA said in a press release.

Citing 2024 data, the CAA said some 220,000 passengers, or 6 percent of transit passengers at Taoyuan International Airport, were from Canada.

The new policy is part of a One-Stop Security (OSS) plan implemented by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) to improve efficiency at the airport, the CAA said.

CAA officials, headed by Director-General Ho Shu-ping (何淑萍), have held discussions with Canadian authorities about the OSS functions and the relevant security measures at Vancouver and Toronto international airports, the press release said.

It cited Ho as saying that since 2018, the checked luggage of transit passengers from Canada has been exempt from screening in Taiwan.

Now, the policy is being extended to transit passengers and their carry-on baggage, allowing a faster, smoother, and more efficient transit, which will also benefit the airlines, Taoyuan Airport, and the Aviation Police Bureau, she said.

One-Stop Security can be implemented if the security measures of the origin country pass a written review and on-site inspection, and meet or exceed the transit country's standards, according to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Convention and the ICAO Aviation Security Manual.

With OSS, transit passengers and all of their luggage may be exempt from screening.

On Thursday, the CAA said it has been gradually implementing the OSS provisions, already exempting transit passengers from the United States and all their luggage, and checked luggage for transit travelers from New Zealand's Auckland Airport.