The final report sits on the table in front of John Major as he comments on the bombing of Air India Flight 182 during a news conference in Ottawa on Thursday. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

The commissioner of the Air India inquiry came down hard on the government and Canada's spy agency, CSIS, in his report on the 1985 bombings, but he reserved his most severe criticism for the RCMP and the lack of security at the country's airports.

In his report released Thursday, retired Supreme Court justice John C. Major blamed a "cascading series of errors" by government, the RCMP and the country's spy agency for failing to prevent the disaster.

But Major said the RCMP is still not properly structured to deal with terrorism investigations or prosecutions. Major suggested it's time to reassess the agency's role in municipal and provincial policing, which he said impinges on the force's ability to be a national security presence.

"The effect of these contractual services reduces the use of the total RCMP personnel of some 28,000 by a considerable number and in our view, affects their ability to be a true federal police force," Major said.

However, Wesley Wark, who specializes in security and counter-terrorism at the Munk School for Global Affairs in Toronto, said pulling the RCMP out of contract policing would have severe consequences.

"That would be a huge blow to its revenue. The government would have to kick in a lot of new money in order to fill that huge revenue gap."

Wark said if the RCMP ditched its contracts with the provinces, that would also diminish its ability to gather intelligence at the local level across the country.

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews resisted making any commitments to Major's recommendations.

"I think it would be premature — 12 hours after an 11-volume report has been placed on our desks — to indicate which recommendations we should or should not follow."

Lax airport security flagged

Meanwhile, Canadian pilots said the Air India report proves something they've known for years — security must be improved at the country's airports.

Major devoted an entire volume of his 3,200-page report to Canada's aviation security regulations. Nearly three decades after the Air India tragedy, the gaps in aviation security are serious enough it could happen again today, Major said.

He recommended that Ottawa create a written set of national aviation security standards all airports would be have to follow.

This would include more checks for the people who work around planes — ground crews, baggage handlers and mechanics — and not just the passengers who board them.

He also called for better inspection of cargo. In fact, according to Major, the soft underbelly of airport security in Canada is in aircraft cargo bays. Even though passengers are now subjected to the most rigorous screening ever, the commercial cargo that's loaded on to aircraft is not, Major said.

"We call on government and other responsible agencies to close the remaining gaps in the civil aviation system, especially with regards to air cargo and airport security inside the terminal."

Andre Georolymatos, who teaches security studies at B.C'.s Simon Fraser University, said cargo should be X-rayed just like a passenger's luggage.

"We all go through security having our hand luggage checked but meanwhile who is checking the cargo that goes into the plane?" he said.

Gerolymatos said the problem is compounded by the fact baggage handlers and other airport staff with access to aircraft on the tarmac do not undergo sufficiently thorough background checks.

Major also suggested police forces employ high-calibre terrorism experts who can identify threats before they happen.

Dan Comeau of the Air Canada Pilots Association said he hopes Ottawa takes the advice, though funding will be key.

"Money always drives it," said Comeau. "We just want the government to get involved to release the funds to make these recommendations happen, and through a single government agency that controls all airline security in Canada."