Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I am the president of the National Airlines Council of Canada. Unfortunately, my colleague Suzanne Acton-Gervais is unable to join us today. For those of you who don't know, NACC represents Canada’s largest passenger airlines, including Air Canada, Air Transat, Jazz Aviation and WestJet.
Second only to safety, the most important component of world-class travel is a great experience for passengers. That said, sometimes circumstances can cause trip disruptions. There’s no question that there are several factors that can disrupt the passenger journey, such as inclement weather, mechanical issues with the aircraft, or unseen operating crew shortages. Disruptive factors were amplified this past year as air travel emerged from the pandemic.
This has raised questions about the APPR. In order to inform this committee’s review of the regulations, let me share some observations.
First, airlines are adhering to APPR regulations. In cases of disruption, flights are being refunded or re-booked, and hotel, food vouchers and compensation are being provided, where required. In fact, the CTA recently conducted a verification of airline processes in controlling major disruptions. It found that no systemic issues of concern were identified, which was the same conclusion in a similar verification review, back in 2020.
By the way, this is despite the fact that the APPR was not designed with a pandemic in mind. The pandemic was disastrous for air travel, globally. Every organization and agency in the industry, in Canada and around the world, faced challenges that continued into this summer.
Still, passengers, of course, have the right to appeal to the CTA when they feel a response to a disruption is unfair. Although it is true there is currently a backlog of complaints due to the unique circumstances of this summer—you just heard about them, in the first panel—there are new regulations and greater promotion, as well. As you heard from the CTA, the fact is that over 97% of complaints to the CTA are resolved amicably between the passenger and airline.
Another key point is that delays or disruptions in air travel often arise because of the interconnected nature of operations among all players in the aviation ecosystem. Airlines don't operate in isolation. They are the customers of airports and air navigation service providers, and they rely on numerous organizations and agencies for baggage handling, security screening, border agents, air traffic control, and so forth.
Yet, as my colleague Mr. Gibbons said, under the APPR, there is no accountability or service standards in place for any of those other organizations. For example, if an airline has to delay and leave a passenger sitting in a terminal for three hours, it owes you $400, but if a Canada customs or NavCan problem forces you to sit on an aircraft for four hours, they owe you nothing.
The best way to improve the APPR regime is to minimize the need for its use in the first place, and so our key recommendation is for the introduction of accountable service standards for all organizations and agencies involved in the air travel ecosystem.
Some commentators have charged that safety is being used as an excuse to justify disruptions. They suggest airlines cancel flights citing safety to avoid penalties. This claim is false and irresponsible.
Schedule disruptions are costly, and they impact everyone. They throw off, of course, passenger travel plans, but they reverberate through an entire day's schedule, through employee work schedules and airport operations. Cancelling or delaying a flight, except for safety, is always a carrier's last option, but safety is non-negotiable. In fact, as the CTA recently commented, “The Agency agrees...that a carrier should not be penalized for it, or its crew, making a safety call within their discretion regarding the safe operation of an aircraft.”
To conclude, Mr. Chair, it is reasonable, of course, that there be accountability for delays and disruption to passenger travel. Canada's airlines accept this through their own customer service standards and the APPR, but in order to be effective, the APPR need to create accountability for all players in the air travel ecosystem. We say that with an eye towards minimizing flight disruptions and ultimately to enhance air travel and the air travel experience for all passengers, which I'm sure is something that we all agree is our common objective.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.