Cabinet will introduce amendments to toughen penalties for poor airline service by June, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced Thursday. It follows complaints from the Commons transport committee that current fines are modest and grudgingly applied..“We are going to keep our eye on the ball,” Alghabra told reporters. “We are going to keep ensuring the airline sector remains focused on protecting passengers’ rights.”.“I’m open to anything,” said Alghabra. “I want to make sure passengers are protected.”.According to Blacklock's Reporter, current Air Passenger Protection Regulations set a compensation schedule ranging from $400 for flight delays over three hours to $900 for denial of boarding and $2,100 for lost or damaged luggage. The rules also allow the federal regulator, the Canadian Transportation Agency, to levy fines of $25,000 per passenger. The maximum penalty has never been imposed..“The only time we’ve seen the Canadian Transportation Agency issue airlines fines under the Air Passenger Protection Regulations we saw fines of about $200 per passenger,” said New Democrat MP Taylor Bachrach (Skeena-Bulkley Valley, BC). The rates were “comical,” he said. “When you have companies worth hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars, what is the purpose of a $200 fine?”.“In the United States, it’s a maximum of $400,000,” Bloc Québécois MP Julie Vignola (Beauport-Limoilou, QC) told the transport committee. “Are you considering Canadian fines should increase to really dissuade companies from non-compliance with regulations?”.“Yes, we are looking at the issue of fines,” replied Alghabra. “If there is an opportunity to increase the fines or enhance the rules I welcome this committee’s suggestions.”.“Are there additional rules we can make?” said Alghabra. “There is a question about the fines. Should the fines be strengthened?”.“My plan is to table those proposals during the spring session,” said Alghabra. “There is still some work that is needed. The work started before Christmas but the plan I am aiming for is during the spring session.”.Parliament in 2018 passed Bill C-49 An Act To Amend The Canada Transportation Act that allowed regulators to set compensation for poor service. Subsequent regulations were introduced in 2019. The Transportation Agency says it currently has the equivalent of a two-year backlog of complaints, more than 30,000..Critics at the time questioned the effectiveness of the program..“You could refer to it more accurately as a promissory note rather than a bill of rights,” Senator Michael MacDonald (NS) told a 2017 hearing of the Senate transport committee.
