Transport Minister John Baird has ordered an investigation into whether airlines are enforcing rules that require staff to see the faces of passengers who board their flights.
He said in a statement issued Sunday that there are procedures in place to verify the identity of anyone who has their face covered, adding the approach is consistent with international standards, regardless of culture or religion.
A recent YouTube video posted by a man travelling to London appears to show two women boarding an Air Canada flight in Montreal last month who were not asked to remove their veils to check against their passports.
The video includes a statement that a man travelling with the group handing over the passports for all them, and that two women went past an airline attendant without showing their faces, but those actions are not seen.
Baird called the situation "deeply disturbing" and said such actions pose "a serious threat to the security of the air travelling public."
The edited video was posted online under the title: "A major Canadian airline risks your safety, pandering to Muslim sensibilities."
Air Canada issued a statement in response to the controversy over the video.
"Our agents are trained, to verify photo ID in a private area away from other passengers, as required for religious or medical reasons. These are mandatory procedures that all airlines must follow. We are aware of this video and have reminded our employees of these procedures and are also working with Transport Canada on this matter," reads the statement.
Shaheen Ashraf, of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women, calls the video "sensationalism."
"What was he doing there with a camera, sitting there filming everyone, singling out Muslim women?" asks Ashraf about the man who took the video. "I'm questioning his motives."
Ashraf also says the public's focus should be on the airline -- and not the women.
"If the authorities asked these women to remove their face veils, they will," she presumes. "They have no problem doing that."
