Federal government and industry partners announce updated action on reducing traveller wait times
by CM Staff
To make sure the CTA has the resources it needs to enforce the rules, the Government of Canada has provided an additional $11 million to the Agency through Budget 2022.
OTTAWA — The Minister of Transport, Omar Alghabra, the Minister of Health, Jean-Yves Duclos, the Minister of Public Safety, Marco Mendicino, and the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, Randy Boissonnault, issued an update on Aug. 19 on the continued action and progress being made by the Government of Canada and industry partners to reduce traveller wait times and delays across Canadian airports.
They said that in Canada, airlines must follow the requirements of the Air Passenger Protection Regulations, which outline compensation requirements for passengers for flights delayed or cancelled due to incidents within an airline’s control, including crew shortages. New regulations taking effect on September 8, 2022, will also ensure passengers are compensated for flight incidents occurring outside of an airline’s control, like major weather events or a pandemic. The Government of Canada strongly encourages Canadians to know their rights when they travel by air under the Air Passenger Protection Regulations.
The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) is the independent, quasi-judicial regulator of Canada’s national transportation system with the powers of a court to enforce the rules and regulations that airlines operate under.
To make sure the CTA has the resources it needs to enforce the rules, the Government of Canada has provided an additional $11 million to the Agency through Budget 2022. This additional funding will help them to deal with passenger disputes in a more timely manner.
In recent weeks, Minister Alghabra has met with senior leadership of numerous airports and airlines of all sizes across the country to ensure ongoing collaboration and continued action that will help reduce delays for travellers. Similar meetings will continue to be scheduled in the following weeks.
- Since April, more than 1,700 CATSA screening officers have been hired across Canada.
- Efforts to increase screening officer staff levels at all airports continue, including at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport and Calgary International Airport.
- To further facilitate entry and expedite traveller processing, there are now 12 eGates, four dedicated NEXUS eGates and 30 new primary inspection kiosks (PIKs) at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
- There has been a significant decrease in the number of aircraft holds at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
