麻豆影视

Politics

    • Major reforms to air passenger rights needed, says House committee report

    Share
    MONTREAL -

    A parliamentary committee has recommended sweeping changes to Canada's air passenger rights framework, stressing tougher enforcement and compensation rules around flight delays.

    comes after chaotic travel seasons over the summer and winter holidays brought on by soaring demand, labour shortages and poor weather.

    Its 21 recommendations include bigger monetary penalties for airlines, smoother processing of compensation claims and automatic payout offers for customers after significant flight disruptions or denial of boarding.

    It further suggests putting the burden of proof on airlines to show why compensation should not be awarded, and placing the cost of resolving claims to the regulator on the carriers' shoulders. If the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) determines a customer's rights have been violated, all passengers on the same flight should be informed and offered refunds or compensation, the report states.

    The committee also suggests the federal government consider harmonizing its compensation rules with European regulations even when delays are for safety purposes -- a payout exemption the European Union does not allow, but often relied on by Canadian carriers, advocates say.

    Thee passenger complaints backlog at the Canadian Transportation Agency sat just below 45,000 as of Tuesday, more than triple the tally from a year ago.

    The ballooning backlog means each case now needs more than a year and a half to handle, spurring the committee to recommend a review of the CTA as the enforcer. It pointed to potential complaint agency models such as those for telecommunications, television and banking.

    Nadine Ramadan, spokeswoman for Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, said the government will review the recommendations in the coming weeks.

    "Many of the recommendations provided by the committee closely align with the work our government has been doing to make the changes necessary to our passenger rights regime," she said in an email.

    Alghabra has pledged to strengthen the four-year-old passenger rights charter with legislation to be tabled this spring, already promising several of the measures recommended in the report.

    He told reporters last month he would close the loophole that allows airlines to deny customers compensation for cancelled flights. The comment came at a press conference where he promised an additional $75.9 million over three years to reduce the complaints backlog.

    Gabor Lukacs, president of the Air Passenger Rights advocacy group, called the House of Commons committee report "very strong."

    "A lot of thought has gone into this," he said.

    On top of enforcement issues, Lukacs highlighted the loophole through which carriers can reject compensation claims after a three-hour-plus flight delay by citing "reasons related to safety" -- as inscribed in the Air Passenger Protection Regulations -- as a key target of the report.

    WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said last week the company is asking Ottawa to allow airlines to recover passenger compensation costs from other industry partners, if it believes they played a role in causing flight delays or disruptions.

    In a speech at a Calgary Chamber of Commerce event, he said while he supports the passenger rights charter rolled out in 2019, airlines don't operate in a vacuum.

    "There's airports, there's navigation, there's security, there's border control, there's ground handlers," von Hoensbroech told reporters, adding that none of these parties are subject to the existing passenger protection rules the way airlines are.

    "Whatever happens, it's always the airline, and the airline basically becomes the insurance company for the entire industry."

    The transport minister rejected this argument. "When a passenger purchases a ticket for air travel, that is a transaction between a passenger and the airline, and it is the airline's responsibility to ensure they uphold their obligations to passengers," spokeswoman Nadine Ramadan said.

    In the budget tabled by the Liberals last month, the federal government proposed a new rule requiring airlines and airports to share and report data as a way to cut delays and bolster co-ordination within the industry.

    The budget further allows the transport minister to impose a charge on carriers to help cover the costs of resolving passenger complaints. In theory, the measure would incentivize carriers to brush up their service and thus reduce grievances against them.

    Both measures were among the recommendations put forward by the transport committee Tuesday.

    Sylvie De Bellefeuille, a lawyer with the advocacy group Option consommateurs, said she was "very happy" with the report, stating that the committee recognizes the problems faced by passengers.

    "Their recommendations are in order to modify the regulations so that passengers will be better protected," she said in a phone interview.

    Lukacs questioned whether the complaint agencies cited by the committee as models -- the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services and the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments were appropriate to the aviation industry, saying they were less applicable to "evidence-intensive" situations.

    A dearth of fines speaks to the agency's incapacity -- or disregard -- for enforcement, advocates claim, with the committee noting it employed just six compliance officers as of mid-January.

    The total fines issued against airlines and airports reached $725,380 in 2022-23, up from $253,975 in 2021-22 and $54,500 in 2020-21, according to the regulator's website. However, the most recent figure amounts to a fraction of annual airline sales -- less than 0.04 per cent of Air Canada's $16.56-billion revenue last year, for example.

    This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 18, 2023.

    IN DEPTH

    Opinion

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

    When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    Why brain aging can vary dramatically between people

    Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.

    The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.

    A man who was critically injured in a police-involved shooting in Hamilton late Sunday afternoon has died in hospital, says the province鈥檚 police watchdog.

    Canada

    World

    Politics

    • Murray Sinclair鈥檚 family members say the late justice and senator has been laid to rest according to his wishes.

    • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced voters in Cloverdale鈥擫angley City will pick their next member of Parliament on Dec. 16.

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    For the second year in a row, the 鈥楪ift-a-Family鈥 campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

    Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

    A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

    As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

    A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts 鈥 not for themselves, but for those in need.

    A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

    Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

    A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.

    • Weather watchers were treated to an exceptionally rare display on Friday evening as rare cloud formations filled Vancouver skies.

    • For some shoppers it was Nov. 1, but for others the first hints of Christmas - saccharine treats, festive-fragranced candles and gaudily wrapped gift sets - were being noticed in stores long before the final Halloween decor had been cleared.

    • Thousands of people are expected to gather in downtown Vancouver on Monday to observe the city鈥檚 100th Remembrance Day ceremony.

    • Toronto is expected to see an economic boost to the tune of nearly $300 million thanks to Taylor Swift鈥檚 upcoming Eras Tour, which will be making a stop in Canada鈥檚 largest city for a six-show run later this month.

    • One man was transported to hospital early Monday morning after a stabbing in the northwest end of the city, Toronto police say.

    • A man who was critically injured in a police-involved shooting in Hamilton late Sunday afternoon has died in hospital, says the province鈥檚 police watchdog.

    • A pair of 105-mm howitzers bark constantly as they turn plywood tank targets into kindling kilometres away on the windswept landscape of one of Canada's largest military bases.

    • Two semis were among the vehicles involved in a multi-vehicle crash that brought westbound traffic along Stoney Trail Northwest to a standstill on Sunday.

    • More than 700 people danced, ate, and sang to celebrate Diwali Saturday night at the Genesis Centre in northeast Calgary.

    • NEW THIS MORNING

      NEW THIS MORNING

      An Ottawa boy with a rare disease will be getting the chance to see Taylor Swift in concert after the winner and organizers of an auction held on his behalf gifted the tickets to him.

    • After months of controversy surrounding a dog park in Ottawa's west end, a solution has been reached to divide the park in half.

    • CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at Remembrance Day ceremonies in Ottawa.

    • An elementary school in Greenfield Park on Montreal鈥檚 South Shore is closed after it was the target of an alleged arson attack.

    • Some 12,000 daycare workers are set to begin their strike action Monday morning.

    • Two vehicles were set on fire in Montreal鈥檚 east end Riviere-des-Prairies neighbourhood.

    • Monday is Remembrance Day, a time to honour armed forces members who have died in the line of duty.

    • Boasting 2,300 square metres of skating space at its new location, Edmonton's Rollers Roller Rink believes it is the largest in Canada.

    • A woman is dead after a driver crashed a truck through a Boston Pizza in Fort McMurray late Saturday morning.

    • A pillar in Canada鈥檚 history was honoured in Winnipeg Sunday afternoon, with thousands showing up to pay tribute to the life and legacy of the late Murray Sinclair.

    • Winnipeg police have identified two men involved in a stabbing incident earlier this week.

    • The Winnipeg Blue Bombers whipped the Saskatchewan Roughriders 38-22 in Saturday's CFL West Division final to earn their fifth consecutive trip to the Grey Cup.

    • Regina author Valerie Crowther is celebrating the release of her book 鈥榃ar Letters: Linking Lives in the Second World War.鈥

    • It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.

    • Twilight Tech Arcade, an entertainment location specializing in retro gaming, is closing its doors for the foreseeable future.

    • A man has been charged after a stabbing at an apartment building in Kitchener.

    • The Guelph Police Service is putting out a warning after two deaths in the downtown area.

    • Two new tributes to Canada鈥檚 veterans have been unveiled at the Elmira Cenotaph.

    • Saskatchewan RCMP are searching for a suspect after a man was seriously injured in a farm-related incident in Montreal Lake.

    • It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.

    • The Regina Rams claimed the Hardy Cup after a hard fought battle against the Saskatoon Huskies 19-14 on Saturday in the first all Saskatchewan U-Sports western conference final since 2002.

    • CTVNewsNorthernOntario.ca is livestreaming the annual Remembrance Day ceremony at the Sudbury Community Arena starting Monday at 10:30 a.m.

    • Police have arrested a 15-year-old in connection with a break-in and $50,000 in damage done to the Centennial Arena in Elliot Lake in September.

    • Emergency crews responded to the scene on Road 68/Highway 2 east of Thamesford around 7 p.m.

    • On Friday, the Sarnia Police Service (SPS) received a report of an alleged abduction in the area of Kathleen Avenue and Walnut Avenue.

    • The events will start at 10:15 a.m. with a parade that forms up in front of the Delta London Armories, marches east on Dundas Street and turns north onto Waterloo Street to Dufferin Avenue, the west to the Cenotaph.

    • A group of former NHL players faced off against York Regional Police officers in Newmarket Sunday afternoon to raise funds for Special Olympics programs across the province.

    • A driver is facing multiple charges after a multi-vehicle collision on Highway 400 early Sunday morning.

    • The agreed statement of facts was read to the court on Friday in the case of Alex Williams, the 24-year-old jail guard charged last fall with smuggling cannabis and tobacco into Central North Correctional Centre in Penetanguishene.

    • One person has been arrested after Chatham-Kent Police Service (CKPS) received multiple complaints about an alleged drunk driver.

    • More details have been released about a police investigation at the Ambassador Bridge that connects Windsor, Ont. and Detroit, MI.

    • An individual is dead following a collision involving a motorcycle in Kingsville.

    • Environment Canada says heavy rain and winds could cause power outages on Vancouver Island as an "intense" storm system is set to hit the B.C. coast Sunday.

    • Six deer were struck by vehicles in six different locations in a six-hour period on B.C. highways on Saturday, according to the transportation ministry.

    • The union for locked-out port workers in British Columbia says the BC Maritime Employers Association cut off talks in less than an hour Saturday, refusing to budge on a final offer that the union has so far rejected.

    • The emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, B.C., will be closed for 31 hours this weekend, the second such closure in a week and the third since the start of November.

    • Police in Kamloops, B.C., are reminding parents and guardians to check their children's Halloween candy after receiving a report of a mother finding a razor blade in one of her daughter's treats.

    • More than two years after Alannah Brown and Douglas Barker were found dead north of Penticton, police are asking for help identifying a vehicle they believe was associated with the crime.

    • The Southern Alberta Recreation Association is officially announcing the Town of Taber as next year鈥檚 host for the Southern Alberta Summer Games.

    • The Lethbridge Hurricanes broke open a close game with three goals in the first two minutes of the third period as they defeated the Warriors 7-3 in a game played Friday night in Moose Jaw.

    • There might not a lot snow just yet, but many southern Albertans are still itching to get outdoors.

    • Police have arrested a 15-year-old in connection with a break-in and $50,000 in damage done to the Centennial Arena in Elliot Lake in September.

    • Mayors of the five largest cities in northern Ontario met in North Bay the last two days to discuss a range of critical issues impacting their cities and the region.

    • Residents in the Sault expressed concerns ranging from vandalism to privacy invasions during recent consultations on the city's plan to install automated speed enforcement cameras.

    N.L.

    Stay Connected
    Follow 麻豆影视