TORONTO — Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) has implemented new enhanced security procedures that may require passengers to go through random screenings.

Effective immediately, the new procedures were put in place by Transport Canada under the Domestic Ferry Security Regulations. According to the airport, this may result in random baggage/belongings checks of some passengers for the presence of explosives.

“The random screening will be completed by swabbing the exterior of the baggage and/or belongings and analyzing the swab taken with a portable detection device,” said the airport on its website. “Passengers may expect to be approached by Billy Bishop Airport Security staff to participate in the screening process prior to boarding the ferry.”

Passengers can also access the airport via the pedestrian tunnel that connects the facility to the mainland, however the airport has yet to confirm whether the security screenings will be applicable to this access point as well.

The last time YTZ updated its security measures was in July 2017 when it was authorized by the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) to conduct a secondary search and/or additional screening of electronics the size of a cell phone or larger.