Transport Canada's new Pre-load Air Cargo Targeting (PACT) program will begin in November, implementing stricter security protocols for air cargo originating from Europe and the CIS due to increased security concerns.

Air Canada Cargo — the freight unit of Canada's flag carrier and largest airline — reminded its customers that Canada's stricter air cargo security measures will take effect on November 1.

"PACT program improves security by identifying and mitigating high-risk air cargo shipments before they are transported into Canada, using advanced analytics in the risk assessment of pre-loading advance cargo information," the freight carrier said.

Air Canada noted that it is currently fully compliant with the upcoming mandatory PACT Program requirements and will continue to submit the required data on behalf of its customers to Transport Canada's PACT system to receive authorization from Transport Canada authorities before shipments are loaded onto the aircraft.

"Effective November 1, 2024, to ensure your shipments move as booked, all mandatory data elements required for both the Master Air Waybills and House Air Waybills, need to be complete and accurate for each shipment at the time of tender," it added.

The mandatory data elements include shipper name, consignee name, shipper address, consignee address, pieces, weight, goods description and air waybill number.

The United States and Canada have earlier announced the introduction of new security measures to address the potential risks posed by incendiary devices found in European parcel networks.

Recent incidents, such as the fire at a logistics hub in Leipzig linked to a Baltic package, have raised concerns about potential threats to global supply chains, with the German police suspecting that the two parcels in the European parcel networks were designed to damage infrastructure.

The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Transport Canada have implemented stricter security protocols, adding layers of scrutiny to air cargo entering their respective countries.

These measures focus on cargo originating from Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and Central Asia.

The new rules require air carriers to now provide more detailed information on shippers and consignees to mitigate risks.

Transport Canada's new rules require that cargo from 55 European and Central Asian countries must come from shippers with an "established business relationship" with freight forwarders or air carriers.

Under the PACT Program, all shipments to or through Canada will be required to declare to the Canadian authorities advance information about the cargo they intend to carry, similar to the ACAS program for the United States.

In line with these measures, Air Canada Cargo has mandated specific messaging on air waybills to confirm the relationship between shippers and their logistics partners.

To meet the security standards, shippers must have maintained an active account for at least 90 days and made a minimum of six shipments during that period.

In the US, the implementation of tighter security measures for air cargo has been delayed to November 13, 2024.

Meanwhile, Australia has also recently announced stricter security protocols for air cargo, aligning with similar measures already enacted by the US and Canada.