Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Taylor Bachrach Says New Legislation Still Falls Short of Protecting Air Passengers in Canada

Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Taylor Bachrach says newly introduced legislation doesn’t go far enough to protect air travellers in Canada.

On Thursday, the Liberal Government announced proposed amendments to the Transportation Act as part of their Budget Implementation Act.

But Bachrach says the amendments fail to close a loophole allowing airlines to avoid paying compensation in the event of a cancelation or delay.

Currently, airlines are only required to pay compensation if the cause of a flight disruption is out of their control, and not related to safety.

Under the proposed changes, passengers would always be entitled to compensation, outside of a pre-determined list of exemptions.

That list would be decided based on a regulatory consultation process involving the public and industry after the Bill is passed.

But Bachrach says that process leaves the door open for airlines to continue to come up with excuses to deny compensation.

Last month, Bachrach tabled Bill C-327, which calls on Ottawa to bring regulations in line with those used in the EU.

Under their system, compensation is automatic, unless the cause is due to extraordinary circumstances, such as weather.

Other portions of the new legislation seek to speed up the complaints process, raise max compensation payouts ten-fold to $250,000, and shift the burden of proof to the airline.

That new process would force airlines to respond to complaints within 30 days, but would still send the complaint back to the Canadian Transportation Agency for review.

Even with those changes, Bachrach says the new process is overly expensive, complex, and bureaucratic, and lacks transparency.