Canada’s largest airports are urging MPs to approve digital identification for air travellers, saying current ID rules are outdated and inefficient.Blacklock's Reporter says in a submission to the Commons finance committee, Toronto’s Pearson International Airport called on the federal government to amend air travel regulations to allow passengers to use digital ID in place of traditional photo identification.“To modernize and support enhanced passenger experience we ask that the government endorse system-wide border and screening modernization including immediate regulatory changes,” Pearson officials wrote. They asked Ottawa to update the Secure Air Travel Regulations to “enable digital ID to be recognized.”Under current rules, domestic passengers over 18 must show government-issued photo identification, such as a driver’s licence or passport. .Pearson’s management said digital ID and biometric systems could improve security, reduce delays, and make airport operations more efficient.“Canada should proactively embrace both emerging and proven technologies,” airport officials wrote. “Key initiatives should include accelerating the adoption of a common digital ID for both domestic and international travel.”The Canadian Airports Council backed the proposal, calling for a national digital ID program beginning with air travellers. The council said such a system would “reduce pressure on infrastructure, enhance security, and enable more efficient use of space.”“At present Canada is behind our international peers,” it wrote, pointing to the widespread use of biometric screening in other countries..Currently, only foreigners entering Canada from outside the United States are subject to biometric screening such as fingerprints and photos. Parliament first funded an immigration biometrics program in 2013 for visa applicants, foreign students, and refugees.But MPs have repeatedly rejected a domestic ID system. A 2003 Commons report, A National Identity Card For Canada?, warned against police being able to stop citizens and demand proof of identity.Polling commissioned by the Privy Council in 2023 also showed strong opposition from Canadians wary of government control over personal data. .Respondents said a national digital ID would make daily life “feel far more restricted” and expressed distrust toward giving one agency that much authority.Despite public resistance, airports say digital ID is the future of travel and want Ottawa to move quickly to bring Canada in line with other nations already using biometric-based systems.
