Experts raise concerns around air travel complaints overhaul

Experts are expressing concerns over a planned overhaul of Canada's air passenger complaints process. During recent Senate transport committee hearings, professors from law and aviation fields warned that the proposed reforms could give airlines an unfair advantage while failing to tackle the core issue of an overwhelming complaints backlog.

In April, the Liberal government announced plans to adopt a model similar to those in the UK and Europe, where independent adjudicators handle complaints on matters such as flight refunds and accessibility issues. This shift would replace the current in-house process at the Canadian Transportation Agency, which is currently dealing with a record backlog of 98,000 complaints and often results in wait times exceeding two years.

While some experts view the proposed changes, including a 90-day deadline for complaints, as a step towards improved speed and transparency, there are concerns that bottlenecks could still occur within the court system. Law professor Paul Daly from the University of Ottawa cautioned that delegating decision-making power to private parties selected by airlines should be approached with caution and accompanied by oversight rules to ensure impartiality.