The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) has launched a new webpage where decisions about air travel complaints are posted.
The CTA tells Daily Hive that it is part of its Complaint Resolution Office, launched in September 2023, following changes to the Canada Transportation Act.
“Decisions are issued for complaints that meet the eligibility requirements in the Act and have not been resolved with the airline, either directly or through mediation, or withdrawn by the passenger,” it said.
The webpage launched April 30 and will be updated quarterly, it said.
CTA
The CTA doesn’t post the full decision or reasoning online. The database only includes information on flight number, flight date, the issue, whether it was within the carrier’s control, and what the CTA ordered.
Some complaints were dismissed by the CTA, while others resulted in an order for the airline to refund or pay a customer what they were owed.
Air passenger rights advocate Gábor Lukács doesn’t think this is enough and wants the CTA to post the entire decision online.
“The secrecy surrounding these decisions is contrary s. 2(b) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” he told Daily Hive via email. “The CTA should publish all these decisions in their entirety, including their reasons.”
Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations dictate what air travellers are entitled to and require airlines to compensate passengers in the event of delays or cancellations. In practice, though, accessing compensation they’re entitled to by law has been challenging for passengers.
Lukács has previously criticized the federal government for failing to enforce its own rules, with passengers often turning to small claims court to get what they’re owed.