Regulator lays out proposed changes to passenger rights charter

GATINEAU, Que. –

The Canadian Transportation Agency is laying out proposed modifications to the passenger rights constitution.

The reforms come after the Liberal authorities handed laws final month to toughen penalties on airways, shore up the criticism course of and goal flight disruption loopholes which have allowed airways to keep away from traveller compensation.

The amendments to the Air Passenger Protection Regulations spell out the circumstances when an airline wouldn’t must compensate clients, narrowing the sector so that the majority technical issues will now not give carriers an out.

The new guidelines would additionally permit clients to assert a refund if the federal government raises the chance stage of journey to sure international locations or if a flight disruption prevents them from finishing their journey inside an inexpensive interval — properly underneath the present threshold of 48 hours.

The transportation company is launching public consultations on the proposed overhaul right now.

The complaints backlog on the regulator now tops 52,000, roughly triple the tally from a 12 months in the past and requiring two years on common per case.

This report by The Canadian Press was first printed July 11, 2023.