Ottawa: Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said that the federal government will close all loopholes that prevent airlines from compensating their customers for their cancelled flights.
He said that this reform will be done keeping in mind the rights of the passengers and it will be introduced in the spring session of Parliament. Earlier this year, Alghabra said Canadians could expect some amendments to the airline passenger bill of rights, but did not say what the changes would be. Now they say that they have identified the places to amend and they are working on them.
At a news conference, Alghabra was asked if he could end the trend of airlines rejecting compensation claims in the name of safety, he said, “Yes, it will be done.”
During a press conference at Toronto Pearson Airport, Alghabra said $76 million would be spent over the next three years to reduce the backlog of complaints at the Canadian Transport Agency (CTA).
He said that with this amount, the transport regulator will be able to recruit 200 more employees and 42,000 complaints registered so far can be eliminated immediately.