Airlines will soon be required to provide refunds or alternative flights to passengers whose trips are canceled or delayed by three hours for reasons beyond the control of air carriers. The regulations announced Wednesday by the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) are a response to the collapse of the aviation industry due to the pandemic, in which thousands of flights were canceled and customers could not get their money back. The new rules, which take effect on September 8, are amendments to the Aviation Passenger Protection Regulations and have no retroactive effect. Until then, passengers whose flights are canceled or delayed by three hours or more for reasons beyond the airline’s control, including weather or closed borders, are not entitled to a refund. The airline has to book them again on the next available flight. The change allows customers to choose between a refund or another flight that departs within 48 hours with that airline or a partner airline at no extra cost. Large carriers are required to place customers on competitors’ planes. “These regulations will fill the gap in the Canadian airline passenger protection regime highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure that even in the event of cancellations and long delays beyond the airline’s control, passengers will be protected if the airline “The company can not complete their journey within a reasonable period of time,” said France Pégeot, CTA CEO. Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said the changes would help ensure travelers are treated with “justice and respect”. “Whether due to a large-scale cancellation or a small incident, we know that sometimes travel does not go according to plan,” Alghabra said in a press release. “These new regulations will protect travelers in these unexpected situations.” However, the rules will not help travelers traveling this summer and experiencing chaos at Toronto Pearson Airport and other junctions. The increase in travel has caused staff shortages at state security checkpoints and customs, resulting in delays, queues and planes being kept at the gates. Congestion points compose questionnaires and procedures related to COVID-19. Between May 1 and June 9, the CTA received 1,402 passenger complaints about flight delays, cancellations, and boarding denials. “Because these complaints are still very new, none of them have been decided or facilitated yet,” the CTA said in an e-mail to the Globe and Mail. By comparison, the CTA received 1,196 airline complaints in February, 1,337 in March and 1,115 in April. “These are complaints from passengers under Air Passenger Protection Regulations against airlines, not against airport authorities, “the CTA said, adding that it has no mandate to resolve passenger claims related to problems with customs, immigration, security or other airport services. Amid recent bottlenecks at airports, the aviation industry is pushing government agencies to account for delays at customs and security checkpoints. “We have seen an increase in [Air Passenger Protection Regulation] “Requests as a result of delays and cancellations that have affected our visitors due to long-standing security and customs queues, asphalt commitments and lost connections that are beyond our control,” said Morgan Bell, a spokeswoman for WestJet Airlines. Your time is precious. Deliver the Top Business Headlines newsletter to your inbox in the morning or evening. Register today.
