Transport minister, airlines to appear at committee today to explain holiday travel chaos | 24CA News
MPs are set to grill Canada’s minister of transport, airways and airport authorities over the journey chaos that erupted through the holidays.
Hundreds of air passengers had been stranded over the vacation season after airways cancelled or delayed flights on account of a significant storm that hit a lot of Canada round Christmas.
Even although the House of Commons is not at the moment sitting, MPs on the transport committee met Monday and unanimously supported calling witnesses to debate the journey debacle.
Executives from Sunwing Airlines, Air Canada and WestJet would be the first to look when the assembly kicks off at 10:30 a.m. ET. They shall be adopted by representatives of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, Aéroports de Montreal and the Vancouver Airport Authority.
Conservative transport critic Mark Strahl instructed CBC’s News Network on Wednesday that the committee desires to get solutions for Canadian travellers.
“The system failed to deal with any adversity so we want accountability,” he instructed host Hannah Thibedeau.
Strahl mentioned that accountability begins on the high with Transport Minister Omar Alghabra.
Alghabra will make his personal look earlier than the committee Thursday afternoon. Today’s committee listening to is set to run till 4:30 p.m. ET.
Over the vacations, Alghabra repeatedly known as the journey scenario “unacceptable.” Last week, he mentioned he was taking a look at air passenger safety rules.
“Last summer and this winter, we’ve seen certain examples where passengers felt they were not communicated with, their rights were not upheld,” he instructed CBC News. “So we need to strengthen the rules.”
Jeff Morrison, president of the National Airlines Council of Canada, instructed 24CA News Network’s Power & Politics that different entities, similar to airports and navigation service suppliers, should be held accountable when disruptions occur.
“The only way we can create a better system overall that minimizes disruptions is if we put in greater accountability, greater service standards for each entity within the air travel ecosystem,” Morrison instructed host Catherine Cullen. “Right now, it’s just airlines that are subject to any sort of accountability.”
WATCH | Airlines affiliation blames climate for vacation journey chaos
“What we experienced this holiday season was really a once in a generation, I would argue a once in a lifetime, weather event,” mentioned Jeff Morrison, president and CEO of the National Airlines Council of Canada.
Air travellers started experiencing an uncommon variety of flight disruptions again within the spring, when demand for air journey started to return to pre-pandemic ranges. Many passengers have accused airways of skirting compensation guidelines which have been in place since 2019.
Those guidelines require an airline to compensate passengers when a flight is delayed or cancelled for a purpose that’s inside the airline’s management. In instances of climate delays, airways are required to maintain passengers knowledgeable and rebook them. If they can not be rebooked inside 48 hours, the airline is required to supply a refund.
But the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA), which is chargeable for imposing these compensation guidelines, is grappling with a backlog of greater than 30,000 passenger complaints.
Officials from the CTA are additionally scheduled to look earlier than the committee Thursday afternoon.
MPs additionally agreed to listen to from VIA Rail and Canadian National (CN) Railway, however they won’t be showing Thursday.
Hundreds of rail passengers ended up trapped on Via Rail trains working between Windsor, Ont., and Quebec City following the closure of a stretch of monitor on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
