Canadian Right

The Canadian Transportation Agency is a quasi-judicial expert tribunal and regulator that delivers independent regulatory and dispute-resolution services to transportation providers and users. Its role is to develop and applies rules that establish the rights and responsibilities of transportation services providers and users:

• ensuring that the national transportation network runs efficiently and smoothly
• protecting the human right of persons with disabilities to an accessible transportation network
• providing consumer protection for air passengers

The regulation on air passenger protection establishes the obligations that airlines have towards passengers, including minimum compensation et minimum standards of treatment and in certain situations.

Regulation on air passenger protection:

« The regulation on air passenger protection defines a set of clear and coherent obligations that airlines must respect; for example, if passengers have a delayed or a cancelled flight, if they are denied boarding, if their luggages are lost or damaged »

*-* Airlines will have to:

-communicate to airline passengers in a clear and simple way all the information about their rights, as well as regular updates in case of delay or cancellation of a flight.

– provide compensation that could go up to $2400 in case of denied boarding when it is the airline which is responsible for this issue

– ensure that passengers receive standards of treatment during delays on air traffic and allow passengers to leave the plane when it is safe to do so, if the delay on air traffic lasts more than 3 hours and that an imminent take-off is unlikely.

– provide compensation that could up to $2100 for lost or damaged luggages, as well as a refund for any luggages fees

– establish clear policies for transporting musical instruments

*-* Starting from December 15th 2019, airlines will have to:

– provide compensation that could go up to $1000 in case of a delay or a cancellation of a flight when it is the airline which is responsible for this issue

– refund or rebook passengers when flights are delayed, including, in some cases, using a competing airline to get passengers to their destination

– provide food, drinks and accommodation to passengers when their flights are delayed

– facilitate the seating for children less than 14 years old in close proximity to an accompanying adult, without extra fees.