Bienvenidos a Canada: Canada's aviation sector applauds measures to streamline visas as a step to increasing travel and trade

OTTAWA, May 12, 2014 /CNW/ - The National Airlines Council of Canada (NACC) and the Canadian Airports Council (CAC) welcome Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander's announcement of the launch of a new CAN+ program which will expedite visa processing for some Mexican travellers.

"This is good news and represents what we hope can be a first step toward eventually waiving the visa requirement for all Mexican travellers," said Marc-André O'Rourke, Executive Director of the NACC.  "Canada's major airlines recognize that making it faster and easier to visit Canada is fundamental to expanding business, trade and travel with our partners such a Mexico.  It is encouraging to see that Canada is taking steps to streamline its visa processes," added O'Rourke.

"Canada's airports support efforts that will help grow international travel into Canada," said Canadian Airports Council President Daniel-Robert Gooch. "Today's announcement recognizes that Canada and the U.S. already do a lot of work in evaluating potential visitors to our countries and that there's benefit to our two countries, but also prospective travellers, if Canada and the U.S. can work more closely. It is our hope that this can serve as a template for visitors from other fast-growing trade and tourism partner countries from which Canada requires visitor visas," Mr. Gooch added.  

Given the opportunities surrounding the upcoming Electronic Travel Authorization, the aviation sector encourages Canada to continue to take steps to ease visa requirements where appropriate to grow investment, trade, and tourism.  

About the National Airlines Council of Canada

The National Airlines Council of Canada is the trade association representing Canada's largest national and international passenger air carriers: Air Canada, Air Transat, Jazz Aviation LP and WestJet.  We promote safe, sustainable and competitive air travel through the development of policies, regulations and legislation that foster a world-class transportation system.  Collectively, our member airlines carry over 50 million passengers annually, directly employ 43,000 people and create over 260,000 jobs.

About the Canadian Airports Council

The Canadian Airports Council (CAC), a division of Airports Council International-North America, is the voice for Canada's airports community.  Its 46 members represent more than 120 airports, including all of the privately operated National Airports System (NAS) airports and many municipal airports across Canada.

SOURCE: National Airlines Council of Canada

Marc-André O'Rourke, Executive Director, National Airlines Council of Canada, Tel.: [phone], [email protected]; Daniel-Robert Gooch, President, Canadian Airports Council, Tel.: [phone], [email protected]