The government of Canada says it’s bringing in new rules to protect passengers from cancelled or delayed flights.
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said that, as the Canadian aviation industry continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and more and more Canadians are choosing to travel by air, it’s especially important that travellers are treated with fairness and respect.
“I am pleased to see that the Canadian Transportation Agency’s new Regulations Amending the Air Passenger Protection Regulations are now finalized,” he said in a statement issued today by the Trudeau government. “These regulations require that refunds be provided for cancelled flights or lengthy delays in all types of situations outside an air carrier’s control and regardless of the type of ticket that was purchased. They will come into force on September 8, 2022.
Alghabra said the new regulations, which amend Canada’s existing Air Passenger Protection Regulations, “will apply to future flights that are cancelled for reasons outside an air carrier’s control, including major weather events, a pandemic, as well as situations where it is not possible for the carrier to complete the passenger’s itinerary within a reasonable timeframe.”
Woman at the airport. Kraken Images/Unsplash Photo.
“These new requirements provide clarity around timing, cost coverage, method of payment, and deadlines to refund travellers in such situations,” he said. “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.
“Whether due to a large-scale cancellation or a small incident, we know that sometimes travel doesn’t go according to plan. These new regulations will protect travellers in these unexpected situations. Our government will continue to protect the interests of passengers” the minister said.
But the consumer group Air Passenger Rights says the program is “a sham,” and that new rules “may give airlines more loopholes to keep passengers’ money.”
“The proposed new rules require airlines to refund passengers only if no alternate transportation is available within 48 hours,” the group said. “In short, the proposed new rules miss the mark, and offer no meaningful protection to average passengers.”
Many Canadian consumers were angry about flight cancellations and delays in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
