Canadian authorities have a launched a probe after an amateur video showed two fully veiled women boarding a passenger plane without showing their faces.

Canada’s minister of transportation John Baird ordered the investigation after passengers raised security concerns following the incident.

Aviation authorities stated the aim of the investigation was to ensure all airline personnel are verifying the identity of passengers before they boarded a flight from Canada.

The video – below – was shot earlier this month by a British passenger as travellers waited to board an Air Canada flight from Montreal’s Pierre-Elliott Trudeau airport to London’s Heathrow airport.

Investigation

“If the reports are true, the situation is deeply disturbing and poses a serious threat to the security of the air travelling public,” said Mr Baird in a statement.

“If our current security policies in this area are deemed to be lacking, our government will take the necessary steps to protect the safety and security of the travelling public,” he added.

The clip shows a man boarding a flight with four women, two with face veils, and two without. The man apparently hands their passports, and the veiled women are allowed to board, without showing their faces.

“I’m sure they were checked when they came into the airport and when you go into the scanner, but the fact is they weren’t at the boarding gate,” video creator Mick Flynn told CTV News Channel.

Flynn said he and his wife complained about the incident to airport staff and considered skipping their flight.

The clip has drawn thousands of viewers, many of whom wrote inflammatory comments and racial slurs.