The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) is seeking input from the public on proposed changes to airline rules that could see passenger protection rules weakened. Industry groups and the airlines themselves have asked the regulators to temporarily suspend certain parts of its Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR). The rules they want to see suspended refer to the rebooking of flights and the right to compensation under certain circumstances.
The CTA says that it is taking the airline's requests for the suspension of certain rules into consideration but would first like to hear what the Canadian public has to say about the matter before making a final decision.
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Airlines are looking to stem losses
"The CTA will consider all the information submitted -- including in this public consultation -- and make its final determination as soon as possible," the organization said in a statement seen by Simple Flying. The request to temporarily suspend the APPR rules were made by:
- The International Air Transport Association (IATA)
- the National Airlines Council of Canada (NACC)
- Air Canada
- Sunwing Airlines
The CTA says that the reason the airlines are looking to suspend the APPR rules stem from losses directly linked to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Airlines in Canada argue that they have the right to issue passengers with vouchers for future flights rather than a full refund if a flight was canceled due to COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the Canadian federal government says that any federal aid given to airlines to help them cope during the ongoing crisis depends on airlines offering passengers full refunds for canceled flights.
Consumer groups went before Parliament
This latest announcement by the CTA comes just days after members of several consumer rights groups testified before a Parliament Committee meeting about transport, infrastructure, and communities. During the meeting, the committee was told that airlines were refusing to follow the APPR rules and give passengers a full refund if their flight was canceled through no fault of their own.
President of advocacy group Air Passenger Rights, Gabor Lukas told the committee that the CTA was only acting as a front for the airlines and asking for public input in the matter was not being made in good faith.
In an article published on December 11, CTV News quotes Mr. Lukacs as saying:
"This consultation is a transparent attempt to justify what is already a predetermined outcome ... The entire consultation looks like a sham."
People need money not vouchers
Just because an airline is suffering financial difficulties because of the coronavirus, it does not mean that that can pass that suffering onto the flying public. Over a million people in Canada have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus, and they need money, not vouchers!
Do you think the CTA is really interested in what the public thinks, or is it just going through the motions? Please tell us what you think in the comments.
The CTA contacted Simple Flying about this article and we have removed the sentence they referred to. You can read wrote the CTA wrote below:
Good afternoon, we would like to address a statement in your recent post, Canadian Transport Authority Seeks Public Opinion On Airline Regulations.
It states: "…the CTA is only trying to appear as though they are a fair judge when it comes to rules that protect passenger rights. If it wasn’t for things like the Air Passenger Protection Regulations, airlines in Canada could do what they wanted with no recourse." This is an inaccurate portrayal of the CTA's commitment to protecting passenger rights and consulting with Canadians, as well as its role as an independent quasi-judicial tribunal and regulator. The CTA examines each case on its own merit impartially and in a rigorous manner.
The CTA created the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR) to ensure clear, fair, and consistent air passenger rights by imposing certain minimum airline obligations toward passengers, including standards of treatment and, in some situations, compensation for passengers.
The CTA has received requests from the air industry for temporary adjustments to certain elements of these regulations, in light of the impacts of COVID-19. The CTA has the authority (in section 80 of the Canada Transportation Act) to make temporary adjustments (or, exemptions) to its regulations, should the CTA find that compliance with them is unnecessary, undesirable or impractical.
Whether or not it will order temporary exemptions to certain requirements of the APPR is before the CTA now, and the CTA has asked to hear the views of stakeholders and the public to help inform that decision. The CTA has decided to consult the public and will consider all the information submitted in making its final determination.
Best,
CTA media team