United Protection lands Edmonton airports

The multimillion-dollar contract commences June 1, 2009, and is for a three-year term, with a two-year option.

Don Allan, chief operating officer, said in a statement, "This contract award is a major victory for United and represents the achievement of an important milestone in our continued growth strategy."

United will provide security services for the EA terminal, parking facilities, key access points and some airside patrols and will secure the Edmonton City Centre Airport.

United’s management team has extensive experience in airport security operations and has worked in partnership with the EA management team in the past. The company is excited by the opportunity to partner with EA to assist them with their security plans.

Edmonton Airports’ vice-president operations, Diane Trenn, said: "Making sure passengers are safe and secure is a top priority for EA and the aviation industry. Every passenger that travels from the airport is impacted by some level of security and we must provide the highest possible standard in this ever-changing world of airports and travel. Our customer service data indicates that security operations at the airport have a significant impact on overall passenger satisfaction. Balancing security needs and customer service elements like courtesy and helpfulness of security staff can be a challenge in the airport environment but we know that our partners at United have the experience and expertise to deliver both. We look forward to working with United to facilitate safe, secure and moving experiences for all of our customers."