Air Passenger Complaints Balloon to a Record 46,000, Senate Committee Hears

Luggage is amassed in the baggage claim area at Toronto Pearson International Airport, as a major winter storm disrupts flights in and out of the airport, on Dec. 24, 2022. Cole Burston/The Canadian Press

The federal backlog of air passenger complaints regarding poor service has reached an all-time high of 46,000, a figure equivalent to a three-year wait, based on data from the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA).

“Unfortunately we have quite a big backlog,” France Pégeot, chief executive officer of the CTA, said in his testimony at the Senate Standing Committee on Transport and Communications (TRCM) on May 16. “We have 46,000 complaints in our backlog. Just last year we received 40,000 complaints.”

Pégeot highlighted the recent exponential growth, saying that “five years ago we had 5,000 complaints.” In November 2022, the CTA told the House of Commons transport committee that it was processing complaints at a rate of 15,000 per year, reported Blacklock’s Reporter.

Bill C-47

The staggering number of complaints raises concerns about the government’s omnibus budget bill C-47, introduced by Transport Minister Omar Alghabra on April 28 to include amendments to Air Passenger Protection Regulations.

“The new legislation with respect to air passenger protection that we’re talking about would not apply to the backlog,” Pégeot said. “Essentially if we change the air passenger protection regime it would apply only to complaints we receive once that new regime is in place.”

Bill C-47 aims to hold airlines accountable for settling passenger complaints within 30 days and mandates the publication of performance-related information on company websites. Failure to appropriately compensate customers for poor service could result in unspecified increases in penalties for airlines.

“Nothing in these amendments will improve or strengthen air travel in Canada,” Jeff Morrison, CEO of the National Airlines Council, told the Senate committee. “Airlines cannot do it alone,” he added, drawing criticism from senators.

Sen. Leo Housakos, chair of the TRCM, said airline companies should bear the responsibility for the record number of complaints to the CTA.

“The buck stops, in my opinion, with the airline companies, and the buck stops there because that’s where most of the revenue goes,” he said. “My question is the following: Will the airlines step up and correct the problem or do we have to take drastic steps as legislators to start protecting customers?”

Housakos also criticized successive governments for prioritizing the protection of the industry over customer satisfaction.

“The customer comes last now,” he said. “Shareholders come first. Executives of airline corporations come first. Unions and employees come second or third, but customers? Always dead last.”

Sen. Pamela Wallin also raised concerns about the inadequate compensation for air passengers, citing constant flight delays, missed connections, and the lack of Wi-Fi availability as ongoing issues that she said are “unfriendly to consumers.”

The current regulations under the Air Passenger Protection Regulations, established in December 2019, offer compensation of up to $400 for a three-hour flight delay, $900 for denial of boarding due to overbooking, and up to $2,100 for lost or damaged luggage. Airlines would face a maximum of $25,000 for non-compliance with the regulations.