Evidence of meeting #46 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was passengers.
A video is available from Parliament.
12:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Schiefke
Thank you very much, Ms. Flint and Mr. Sorbara.
Next we have Madame Vignola.
Ms. Vignola, you have the floor for six minutes.
12:40 p.m.
Bloc
Julie Vignola Bloc Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Ms. Flint and Ms. Vrooman, thank you for attending.
Good afternoon, Mr. Rainville and Mr. Massé, from Aéroports de Montréal, and thank you also for being with us.
In her remarks, Ms. Vrooman spoke about the services that the Vancouver airport had offered passengers to support them during the December 23‑24 storm. Did the Montréal-Trudeau International Airport have to go through the same process and offer services: food, support in finding a hotel, transportation?
12:40 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Aéroports de Montréal
Absolutely. We had to deal with a situation like this last summer, which was more serious than the Christmas storm. This time we had to do perhaps less.
I myself was there, during the night, to set up beds. Indeed, in these cases, we set up cots in our conference rooms, we give food as well as baby food, diapers, among other things. Yes, we have all that. It's not part of our normal procedures, but in extreme cases we have it.
Of course, you need access to hotel rooms. Last summer, none were available, which was a problem. Also, they are often too expensive, even if there are some.
12:40 p.m.
Bloc
Julie Vignola Bloc Beauport—Limoilou, QC
In these situations where you work with the airlines, is it entirely at your expense or is there compensation? I'm trying to figure out how that works.
12:45 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Aéroports de Montréal
We are the ones who bear the costs in these extreme cases, because it is really exceptional. That this kind of situation happens twice in the same year is also rather exceptional.
12:45 p.m.
Bloc
Julie Vignola Bloc Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Thank you.
Earlier, I said that when a customer buys a ticket, they expect a certain level of safety. While we understand that some aspects are the carriers' responsibility, other aspects rather fall to you.
I would like you to say a few words about the safety aspects that are more of your concern, as the airport authorities.
12:45 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Aéroports de Montréal
Our primary responsibility is the proper maintenance of the apron, as well as clearance of the runways.
That is entirely our responsibility when there are winter conditions. I'm talking about Montreal here, because we have an average of 56 days of snow per year. So we're used to it.
This responsibility is so important to us that our crews usually arrive the day before a snowstorm and sleep in the hotel, so they can clear the runways the next day and bring the surface back to concrete.
12:45 p.m.
Bloc
Julie Vignola Bloc Beauport—Limoilou, QC
If the carriers ever cancel a flight for a safety reason related to ramp and runway clearance, do they pay the compensation or does the airport?
12:45 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Aéroports de Montréal
The airline makes the decision to take off or not. In fact, it is the pilot who makes that decision.
12:45 p.m.
Bloc
12:45 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Aéroports de Montréal
This is because it is at the very heart of the pilot's job to determine the level of safety according to the facilities, and it is therefore up to them to decide whether to take off or not.
12:45 p.m.
Bloc
Julie Vignola Bloc Beauport—Limoilou, QC
The Bloc Québécois believes that the definition of what constitutes a safety reason, which the regulations allow air carriers to use to explain a disruption, could be misused by some carriers to justify their decision not to compensate their customers.
From your perspective as an airport administrator, should we be looking at a law that is more like the European Union law? It does not even include safety as a justification for a disruption that is the responsibility of the carrier. There, if a problem is the carrier's responsibility, they take full responsibility, including compensation.
12:45 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Aéroports de Montréal
Everyone, according to their field of competence, decides what is safe or not for the passenger. We will never question an airline's decision to deem a situation unsafe.
Each of us has our areas of expertise, and we respect each other, absolutely.
12:45 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Aéroports de Montréal
Yes, that's correct.
12:45 p.m.
Bloc
Julie Vignola Bloc Beauport—Limoilou, QC
As safety is fundamental, it should not become a catch-all of reasons for not compensating passengers who suffer the consequences of decisions.
12:45 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Aéroports de Montréal
That is your interpretation.
For our part, as soon as the word “safety” is uttered, whatever the reason, we do not question the decision.
12:45 p.m.
Bloc
Julie Vignola Bloc Beauport—Limoilou, QC
I wasn't saying that you shouldn't take safety into account, because it is always the basis for decisions.
I meant that some carriers use safety as a reason to refuse to compensate passengers, even though the situation is entirely the responsibility of those carriers. Doesn't the notion of safety become an excuse, at that point?
12:45 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Aéroports de Montréal
I'll let the airlines debate this question about their share of responsibility for safety. I will stick to what the airport itself does.
12:45 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Aéroports de Montréal
We cannot tamper with that, Ms. Vignola.
12:45 p.m.
Bloc
Julie Vignola Bloc Beauport—Limoilou, QC
I agree.
Is baggage handling your responsibility, that of the carriers, or a shared responsibility?
12:45 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Aéroports de Montréal
A shared responsibility.
Putting the luggage on the aircraft is the responsibility of the company, and getting the luggage to the exit door is ours.
12:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Schiefke
Thank you very much, Mr. Rainville. Thank you, Ms. Vignola.
Next we have Mr. Bachrach.
Mr. Bachrach, the floor is yours. You have six minutes.
12:45 p.m.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My questions will be for Ms. Vrooman, from the Vancouver Airport Authority. I'd like to add to the discussion around these challenging events.
I believe it was in the evening of December 22 that we had one of the more alarming stories of the holiday season, with passengers on board an Air Canada flight stuck on the airplane for over 11 hours and unable to deplane. I've seen the communication from an individual who has worked in the airline industry, including in emergency response, and they say it's their opinion that YVR should have implemented an emergency action plan to get the Air Canada passengers off that aircraft.
Is an emergency action plan something that was discussed or considered at some point during those 11 hours?