WHTI -AIR IN QUEBEC CITY FULL COMPLIANCE ON DAY ONE

UNCLAS QUEBEC 000009 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR WHA/CAN, EB/TRA, AND CA/PPT E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON KHLS EAIR ASEC CPAS CA SUBJECT: WHTI -AIR IN QUEBEC CITY FULL COMPLIANCE ON DAY ONE ¶1. Consular staff spoke with airline boarding chiefs at Quebec City's Jean Lesage Airport, who reported that things went smoothly during this first day of WHTI-Air. No passengers were refused boarding, and none came unprepared. ¶2. Quebec City, which is the only airport in the consular district with U.S.-bound flights, does not have CBP pre-clearance. Direct U.S.-bound flights are offered by Continental (Newark),Delta (Boston) and Northwest (Detroit). Air Canada Jazz dominates the flight schedule, and all its U.S.-bound passengers are preinspected while transiting Montreal or Toronto, but document checks are done at Quebec City. ¶3. When conoffs met last week with airline representatives and shared the guidance on CBP enforcement flexibility, all opposed using it lest it create confusion and doubts about implementation. Continental and Northwest subsequently received instructions from headquarters to make use of it needed, but thus far there has been no need. ¶4. Airline representatives repeatedly express their satisfaction with the new regulations, as it radically simplifies their document inspections. ¶5. Neither of Quebec City's dailies covered WHTI this morning. Weekend stories focused on the long waits at Canadian passport offices. STRUDWICK