Asian man disguised as white man boards plane

So far there've been far more questions than answers as to how a young Asian man managed to board an Air Canada flight to Vancouver expertly disguised as an elderly Caucasian man.

Authorities have yet to identify the man, who has claimed refugee status and has been detained pending a hearing before the Immigration and Refugee Board.

Former transportation minister John Baird has said the incident is of "deep concern" and that there will be a "full investigation."

Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick confirmed Canada Boarder Service Agency officials met the man when he arrived on Oct. 29 aboard flight AC018.

"It should be noted that there are multiple identity checks before departure at the Hong Kong international airport, including Chinese government-run Hong Kong passport control, which Hong Kong-originating passengers must undergo," he said, refusing to elaborate on what measures Air Canada staff are supposed to take.

A spokesman for the current transport minister, Chuck Strahl, said airlines are required to verify the identity of all passengers who appear to be 18 years old or older as per Identity Screening Regulations, which were updated as recently as this fall.

"That means air carriers are supposed to look at a passenger's face to determine if they appear to be over 18, and if so, compare their physical appearance with their travel documents," John Babcock said.

It's not clear whether these procedures were followed in this case.

According to a confidential CBSA intelligence report dated Nov. 1 and obtained by CNN, a "possible impostor" was identified by Air Canada Corporate Security after a seemingly elderly man was spotted with "younger looking hands."

"During the flight the subject attended the washroom and emerged an Asian male that appeared to be in his early 20s," the alert said.

The confidential alert which, according to CBSA, will never be officially released, also contained three photos of the man. The first shows a thin, 20-something Asian man in a button-down striped shirt and a shaggy haircut, his eyes obscured.

The second shows him in a silicone old-man mask, which covers his chest and shoulders. An official's hand can be seen in the photo lifting a corner of the mask, which is draped over his shirt.

In the last photo, the mask is tucked into his shirt and he's wearing his full disguise, which includes a cardigan, glasses and a hat.

Border services officers met the man at the gate in Vancouver and escorted him off the aircraft and through the primary inspection line, where he made a claim for refugee protection, the alert said.

The man originally claimed to have only one piece of luggage, but the border officers found two more. One bag contained personal clothing, a second contained a pair of gloves and a third contained a "disguise kit," including a silicone-type head and neck mask of an elderly Caucasian male, a brown leather cap, glasses and a thin brown cardigan.

The alert said the man donned the disguise for border officers, even mimicking the movements of an elderly person, and admitted he boarded the flight with the disguise on and removed it several hours later.

The alert said it is believed the man swapped boarding passes with a U.S. citizen passenger who was born in 1955, but it is unclear why he did so.

In addition to the boarding card, the man also provided an Aeroplan card — issued by Air Canada's frequent flyer program — as identification when he boarded in Hong Kong. Neither boarding nor Aeroplan cards reflect dates of birth.

The man's name and home country have not been released, but CBSA officials referred to him as a "foreign national."

CBSA officials would only say that they "intercepted and detained" a traveller "attempting to enter Canada under false pretences."

"Transport Canada is aware of the incident and is investigating whether the Identity Screening Regulations were respected," the agency said.