GATINEAU, QC, May 28, 2018 /CNW/ - Scott Streiner, Chair & CEO of the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA), today announced the launch of public consultations on air passenger protection regulations.
New provisions of the Canada Transportation Act, which were added by the recently-passed, Transportation Modernization Act, mandate the CTA to develop regulations setting out airlines' obligations with respect to flight delays and cancellations, denied boarding (bumping), tarmac delays, damaged or lost baggage, seating of children with parents or guardians, the transportation of musical instruments, and communication with passengers. For most of these categories, the law states that the regulations should prescribe minimum standards of treatment. For several (flight delays or cancellations within the airline's control, denied boarding within the airline's control, and lost or damaged baggage), the law also provides for minimum levels of compensation.
Canadians can give their input on these regulations by:
- attending one of eight in-person sessions across the country,
- filling in a questionnaire, or
- Reading our discussion paper and providing a written submission.
The CTA will also conduct surveys with air travellers at select airports across Canada.
The consultation website provides additional information on all elements of the consultation process, and the CTA's Transportation Modernization Act web page provides general information on the legislation.
The consultation process will continue until August 28, 2018. Once it concludes, all the input received will be considered and the new regulations will be drafted. The regulations will require approval from both the CTA and the Governor in Council to come into force.
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"We know air travel issues are important to Canadians and they want to see new air passenger protection regulations in place as soon as possible. We also know that they want their say on the content of those regulations. Our three-month consultation process will achieve both goals: it will offer individuals, consumer organizations, and the airline industry with multiple channels for offering input, while being focused and facilitating timely development of the regulations. We are committed to ensuring, through this regulatory process, that airlines' obligations to passengers are clear, transparent, fair, and consistent."
Scott Streiner, Chair and CEO of the Canadian Transportation Agency
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About the CTA
The Canadian Transportation Agency is an independent, quasi-judicial tribunal and regulator which has, with respect to all matters necessary for the exercise of its jurisdiction, all the powers of a superior court. The CTA has three core mandates: helping to keep the national transportation system running efficiently and smoothly, protecting the fundamental right of persons with disabilities to accessible transportation services, and providing consumer protection for air passengers. To help advance these mandates, the CTA makes and enforces ground rules that establish the rights and responsibilities of transportation service providers and users and level the playing field among competitors, resolves disputes using a range of tools from facilitation and mediation to arbitration and adjudication, and ensures that transportation providers and users are aware of their rights and responsibilities and how the CTA can help them.
SOURCE Canadian Transportation Agency
Media Relations, Canadian Transportation Agency, [email protected], 819-934-3448
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