The House of Commons committee that handles transportation issues this week will launch special hearings this week to examine the travel chaos that ruined the holidays for hundreds of Canadians.
CTV reports the first hearing will take place on Thursday and is expected to see Transport Minister Omar Alghabra field a series of questions about what transpired and what accountability there will be.
Airlines and VIA Rail also are expected to appear at before the committee.
Major storms in Vancouver just prior to Christmas forced WestJet and other airlines to cancel a number of flights. Another storm moved into Ontario and Quebec a few days later and also disrupted travel.
Sunwing cancelled a number of flights over the holidays, stranding hundreds of Canadians in Mexico. Shortly before Christmas, a tree crashed on a VIA Rail train in southern Ontario and left passengers stranded for some 18 hours. There were numerous complaints about a lack of information and lack of service by VIA Rail officials (see related story on VIA Rail’s official apology.)
Many of our constituents had their holiday plans disrupted or ruined, and spent long periods of time in airport or hotel lobbies, or in train cabins waiting for updates that were too slow in coming,” said committee chair and Liberal MP Peter Schiefke during Monday’s meeting. “Thousands of individuals and families had particularly miserable experiences that were compounded by futile attempts at trying to get clear explanations or trying to secure compensation for the time and money that they spent.”
Officials from WestJet and Air Canada are slated to appear before the committee, along with other experts.
CANADA JETLINES ADDS LAS VEGAS
Canada Jetlines, one of the country’s newest airlines, says it will begin flights from Toronto Pearson to Las Vegas on January 19.
One-way tickets are priced at $175 CAD.
Canada Jetlines also will begin flights between Pearson and Melbourne Orlando International Airport on Jan. 19. One-way tickets are priced at $150 CAD.
“As we continue to expand our international network with our first route into the U.S., we look forward to beginning services in such a coveted tourist and convention destination such as Las Vegas,” said Eddy Doyle, CEO of Canada Jetlines.
A waterfall in Iceland. ROBERT LUKEMAN/UNSPLASH PHOTO
NEW ROUTES FROM ONTARIO TO ICELAND
Icelandic low-cost carrier PLAY says it will begin flying between Hamilton, Ontario and Iceland’s Keflavik International Airport. PLAY says it will fly five times a week beginning June 22.
PLAY also serves New York, Boston, Washington D.C. and Baltimore. Keflavik airport is about 50 km’s (30 miles) from Reyjavik.
“I have been eagerly anticipating the launch of ticket sales for flights to Canada, as it will be a major market for us at Play,” said chief executive Birgir Jonsson.
Flight Global points out that Icelandair already flies to Iceland from Toronto Pearson Airport
PLAY serves around 30 airports in Europe from Iceland, including Paris, Berlin, London, Copenhagen, Dublin, Brussels, Stockholm, and more.
