NDP Outlines Plan to Improve Air Passenger Protections – March 20, 2023

NDP transport critic Taylor Bachrach discusses his private member's bill, which he will introduce later in the day, that is aimed at improving protections for air travellers. His proposal addresses what he says are the four main weaknesses in Canada's air passenger protection regime, including a loophole that allows airlines to deny passengers compensation by citing safety issues. Bachrach is joined at the news conference on Parliament Hill by consumer protection advocates Sylvie De Bellefeuille (Options Consommateurs), John Lawford (Public Interest Advocacy Centre), and Gabor Lukacs (Air Passenger Rights). The federal government recently announced almost $76 million in funding to help the Canadian Transportation Agency clear the backlog of air passenger complaints, which currently stands at over 40,000. Transport Minister Omar Alghabra has also said that the government will table reform this spring to strengthen air passenger rights. (March 20, 2023) (no interpretation)