A lot of air travel happens over the holiday season and the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority is hoping to make the process a little smoother with an app.
It’s called CATSA -Breeze Through Security and is available for both iPhones and Androids.
“There’s a list of items that you can see and it’s going to tell you if it should go in checked luggage or carry-on, if there are any restrictions or exemptions, so it’s very useful,” CATSA spokesperson Christine Langlois said Wednesday at the Edmonton International Airport.
“You can consult it in a very personalized way if you want. You just enter in the name of the item you’re planning to bring with you and it’s going to tell you exactly what to do with it.
“For example, if you entered the name ‘cannabis’ in the app, it would tell you right away that it’s allowed to travel domestically with cannabis now as long as you respect the legal limit,” Langlois explained.
READ MORE: Vancouver airport warning travellers about flying with pot in your luggage
She said the legal limit for recreational cannabis is 30 grams and the limit for medicinal cannabis is 150 grams (with a medical cannabis licence).
“Keep in mind it remains illegal to cross international borders with cannabis, even if you’re going to a location where cannabis is allowed,” she said.
Travellers can also make checklists in the app, provide feedback on their security experience, and find out how long it will likely take to get through security at their airport.
“The app is also giving you the wait time in real time in 14 Canadian airports, including Edmonton, to give you a sense of how long it takes to enter the checkpoint,” Langlois said.
Friday, Dec. 20 is forecast to be the busiest day of the year at Edmonton International Airport (EIA). The number of travellers in the airport is expected to be 20 per cent higher than usual, with up to 25,000 people flying and 50,000 or more dropping them off or greeting them.
Other holiday travel tips
Liquid lessons: All liquids, aerosols, gels, beverages and sauces in carry-on luggage must be in containers of 100 ml or less and, in total, fit in a clear one-litre bag. Any large bottles of liquids — including alcohol — must be packed in checked luggage.
Secret spice: Certain inorganic powders are limited to a total combined quantity of 350 ml in carry-on baggage. That’s roughly the size of a pop can.
Winter garb: Remember bulky jackets and boots have to be removed at security but sweaters do not.
Wrapping trapping: If you’re travelling with presents, don’t wrap them. If security needs to check your gifts, you’ll have to unwrap them.