This year’s keynote speakers include the Right Hon. Sir John Wheeler, internationally-respected expert on policing and national security, and Dr. Hugh Dunleavy, executive vice-president, commercial distribution with WestJet.

This year's conference themed Sharing Skies, Managing Risk, includes interactive plenary sessions exploring new and ongoing threats to aviation security, presentations and discussions focusing on the future security risks for the Canadian aviation industry and the solutions to manage them as well as a tradeshow exhibition.

Sir John Wheeler authored an independent review of airport security and policing for the Government of Australia in 2005. He also conducted a review of security at major airports across the U.K. including Heathrow Airport in 2002. Wheeler served as British Security Minister in Northern Ireland between 1993 and 1997 and recommended the establishment of the U.K. National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) (now SOCA) in 1988.

Dr. Hugh Dunleavy has worked in the airline industry for more than 25 years. As executive vice-president of Commercial Distribution for WestJet, Dunleavy oversees WestJet sales, distribution, cargo, charters, Web, call centre, WestJet Vacations and Information Technology. Prior to joining WestJet, Dunleavy held senior management positions at Star Alliance, Air Canada and Lufthansa Systems.
 
"In order to effectively preserve the safety of our skies, strategies and tactics for handling security threats need to be in a continual state of evolution,” said Norm Kirkpatrick, CASC 2008 Conference Director. “There must be close collaboration between Canada’s government and private sector stakeholders to remain on top of security risks to Canadian airspace. Planning for and managing risk is the key to maintaining safe airways throughout the country.”
 
CASC 2008 also features presentations by leading experts from the Canadian and international aviation communities including Guiliano Zaccardelli, former Commissioner, RCMP; Captain Gilberto Lopez Meyer, Director General Civil Aviation, DCGA Mexico; Rafi Ron, President, New Age Security Solutions; Jim Harper, Director of Information Policy Studies, CATO Institute; Jacques Duchesneau, CEO and President, CATSA; Georgina Graham, Director-Security and Facilitation, IATA; Sam Barone, President and CEO, Air Transport Association of Canada; Jim Facette, President and CEO, Canadian Airports Council; Captain Bob Hesselbein, Chairman-National Security Committee, ALPA; Bill McReynolds, Vice Chairman-National Security, ALPA.

The 2008 Canadian Aviation Security Conference is an initiative created in partnership by the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA), Transport Canada (TC), the Canadian Airports Council (CAC), the Air Transport Association of Canada (ATAC), the Airline Pilots Association International (ALPA), the Police Sector Council and the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA). The conference provides aviation and security professionals and managers with the most up-to-date information, tools, trends, legislation and strategies for addressing today's security challenges.

Individuals interested in attending CASC 2008 can read more about the agenda here and register via the CATA website.