That’s because the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) is investing $12.4 million (over four years) in a new security and customer service initiative with its Boarding Pass Security System (BPSS) which promises to provide better tracking of boarding passes and real-time data on how long it takes passengers to move through security lines at airports in Canada.

So far, the system has been rolled out to select Class 1 airports in Canada including Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, and Calgary. By the end of the fiscal year BPSS will be available in Vancouver, Edmonton and Halifax and next year in Winnipeg when that city's new terminal opens.

The system was introduced to Lester B. Pearson International Airport in Toronto in September 2010 and put to use over the holiday period.

The BPSS concept was developed a number of years ago in response to concerns about the use of duplicate boarding passes to access sterile areas. While convenient for passengers, the ability to print boarding passes at home and use mobile (electronic) boarding passes increases the potential for duplication.

To address this concern, CATSA developed a system that places bar code scanning technology in places in the security screening process. The fixed units found at the x-ray entrance are from Access IS based in the U.K., and the handheld scanners used by CATSA screeners at the beginning of the security queue are from Psion Teklogix of Mississauga, Ont. The overall system is hosted by IBM.