WHTI IN ALBERTA AND SASKATACHEWAN: ALMOST FULL COMPLIANCE ON

UNCLAS CALGARY 000014 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR WHA/CAN, EB/TRA, AND CA/PPT E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON KHLS EAIR ASEC CPAS CA SUBJECT: WHTI IN ALBERTA AND SASKATACHEWAN: ALMOST FULL COMPLIANCE ON DAY ONE REF: STATE 7396 ¶1. The four airports in Calgary's consular district with direct flights to the US--Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, and Saskatoon--reported no problems on the first day of WHTI implementation. No passengers were turned away from any of the four airports for lack of a passport. Almost every passenger arrived with a passport, and the few without passports reported that they had passport applications in progress. ¶2. Calgary Airport had 100% compliance for much of the morning. Several WestJet passengers arrived without passports for late-morning flights, but WestJet ticket agents processed the passengers through to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Preclearance, who allowed the passengers to board without being referred to secondary processing. Edmonton CBP reported just two passengers without passports by late morning, both of whom were allowed to board. ¶3. Regina and Saskatoon Airports in Saskatchewan do not have CBP Preclearance officers, but the airlines there reported 100% compliance: by late morning, no passengers had arrived at either airport without a passport. ¶4. Many media representatives were at Calgary Airport, interviewing passengers, airline staff, airport officials, and CBP (CBP officers had been granted permission to speak with the media on the first day of WHTI implementation only) about the new passport requirements. A newspaper reporter who spoke with Vice Consul expressed mild disappointment that "there doesn't seem to be a story here...everything's going fine." HUFFAKER