Statement - Minister Alghabra marks coming into force of new regulations on refund requirements for flight cancellations or lengthy delays outside of an air carrier's control

OTTAWA, ON, Sept. 8, 2022 /CNW/ - The Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, issued this statement today on new regulations by the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) to ensure Canadians' interests are protected when they travel by air:

"Passengers have rights and they need to be respected. Our government was the one who put in place the Air Passenger Protection Regulations in 2019 to ensure their rights are safeguarded throughout their travel journey.

"With travel volumes continuing to increase, I am very pleased to see that the Canadian Transportation Agency's new Regulations Amending the Air Passenger Protection Regulations are now in force.

"Starting today, the new regulations, which amend Canada's existing Air Passenger Protection Regulations, apply to flights that are cancelled, or where there is a lengthy delay, for reasons outside of an air carrier's control, including major weather events or a pandemic, where it is not possible for the carrier to complete the passenger's journey within a reasonable time.

"The COVID-19 pandemic revealed a gap in Canada's passenger protection framework, with flights delayed or cancelled due to situations outside an airline's control and where carriers could not rebook passengers within a reasonable time, like a global pandemic. These new regulations will correct this gap.

"These new requirements provide clarity around timing, cost coverage, method of payment, and deadlines to refund travellers in such situations. They were developed in a manner that is fair and reasonable to passengers, with the goal of not imposing an undue financial burden on air carriers that could result in higher travel costs. 

"The Canadian Transportation Agency, which is our country's independent, quasi-judicial tribunal and regulator of the national transportation system, will be responsible for enforcing these new rules. Through Budget 2022, our government provided the CTA $11 million in additional resources to ensure they can fulfill their mandate.

"With so many Canadians traveling again, it's critical to ensure their rights are respected. Our government is working with air industry partners to help ease airport congestion to keep travellers moving, and we will continue to protect the interests of passengers when travel doesn't go according to plan."

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SOURCE Transport Canada

Laurel Lennox, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport, Ottawa, [email protected]; Media Relations, Transport Canada, Ottawa, [email protected], 613-993-0055