It was unclear how the mandate would be enforced by airlines around the world. Would it be the ticket agent, the flight attendant or a health-care expert carrying out the screening?

«We need guidance material from government as soon as possible,» John McKenna, president of the Air Transport Association of Canada, said Wednesday afternoon.

McKenna said that his association has been pushing for guidelines and procedures to implement the directive.

«We still haven’t received them.»

CUPE communications representative Lou Arab told the CBC that his members haven’t been given any specific guidelines about testing passengers.

«There still is no particular direction from the airlines on that front,» he said. «

Nothing has significantly changed on the ground in airports at the gate.»

Transport Canada included this notice on its website:

«Under the Aeronautics Act, the Minister of Transport will require air operators to deny boarding of a traveller who is symptomatic (regardless of citizenship status) and keep them from going on an international flight to Canada (including a trans-border flight).»

The notice goes on to say that airlines must do a basic health assessment of all travellers before they board the flight. If a passenger shows symptoms of COVID-19, they should not be allowed to board for a period of 14 days. However, if they can provide medical confirmation that they don’t carry the virus, they may be able to return before that time period.

The notice stated that all airlines should have screening measures «fully in place by Thursday, March 19, at 00:01 a.m. EDT.»

But as the deadline looms, the airlines and their employee unions have not been able to offer any specifics on how the mandate will be enforced at airports around the world.

Air Canada, union responds

«These are questions you should direct to the government as it is their policy,» Peter Fitzpatrick, a spokesperson for Air Canada told the CBC via email Tuesday.

«For our part, we are still evaluating these requirements.»

As of Wednesday, Air Canada had no further information to share when CBC followed up.

In a press release Tuesday, Air Canada’s union, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), said the union welcomes the announcement of additional pre-flight screening but said flight attendants shouldn’t be responsible for this screening and that airports or airlines should have specially trained personnel assigned.

«We have conveyed our position that it should not be flight attendants performing screening, especially given how poorly supplied they are presently with personal protective equipment,» a union spokesperson told the CBC in an email.

For its part, WestJet said in an email it was «adhering to the recently imposed entrance requirements for guests travelling on flights destined to Canada.»

«Our teams are following the guidelines provided by the government,» the airline said. «Any additional details can be obtained directly from them.»

Arab said that if government is relying on airlines to prevent the spread of the virus on flights, there needs to be more oversight of airlines and more staff on board to make it happen.

«You’re dealing with a crazy situation that is changing rapidly,» he said.

«Government and staff are doing the best they can. That’s the charitable interpretation of the situation.»

The CBC contacted three federal departments this week seeking specifics on the prime minister’s announcement.

Transport Canada had not responded to a request for further information Wednesday.

«We are consulting internally and with other government departments to ensure we provide the most comprehensive response. An extension to your deadline may be needed, » a Health Canada spokesperson said Tuesday.

At the time of publication, Health Canada had not provided any new information about how the mandate would be implemented.

The Canada Border Services Agency also did not respond to a request for information.

Air Canada does have a general protocol in place for screening passengers that may be sick.

«Each case is different. However, we have a general protocol that when a passenger who appears unwell attempts to check-in or board an aircraft, our agents will make inquiries of the customer regarding their health,» said a corporate notice obtained by CBC that went out to Air Canada employees recently.

«This can include consultation with our own medical desk or a third-party health provider. In cases where we have grounds to believe someone may be unfit to travel, we can also deny the customer boarding for their own well-being, and that of other customers and employees.»

Screening by airline operators is not unprecedented. The United Arab Emirates-based airline Emirates announced on March 12 that it would thermal-screen passengers prior to boarding flights from Dubai to the U.S.

«If a passenger is found to have a higher than normal temperature, they will undergo further testing,» Emirates said in a recent notice on its website.

It was also unclear Wednesday if the Canadian government had reached out to the remaining foreign airlines that fly into Canada and informed them of the new screening mandate.

Canada is currently funnelling all international air travel into the country exclusively through Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.