Four major Canadian airlines have been fined for not complying with the new passenger protections that came into effect earlier this summer.
The Canadian Transportation Agency says Air Canada, WestJet, Porter Airlines and Air Transat have all been penalized since the rules changed on July 15.
In all cases, the airlines were found to have failed to display required notices to passengers. Airlines are required to display information about passenger rights at check-in counters, self-service check-in machines and boarding gates.
WestJet was fined $17,500 for seven violations, Air Canada was fined $12,500 for three, and Air Transat and Porter Airlines were each fined $7,500 for three violations apiece.
The new regulations hold airlines to a higher standard of treatment for passengers during tarmac delays, including requiring them to allow passengers to deplane if they have spent three hours waiting to take off and a take-off is not imminent. Airlines are also now required to have clear policies explaining how they handle luggage containing musical instruments.
The Canadian Transportation Agency has not taken any other disciplinary action against airlines since the new regulations came into effect.
Another round of passenger rights protections will take effect in December. At that point, airlines will be required to compensate passengers for any delays or cancellations within the airline's control, as well as rebook or refund passengers whose flights are delayed – even if that means they have to buy them a ticket for a competing airline.
Air passenger advocates have argued that this will do little to help passengers. They note that a broad array of issues ranging from airport problems to medical emergencies to weather conditions can be cited for delays without the compensation requirement being triggered.
Air Canada said the implementation of the new regulations has been “complex” and the airline is reviewing the Canadian Transportation Agency’s decision.
“We had to review and adjust more than 400 individual items and procedures across our entire system in order to comply with the various requirements of the first phase of the regulations alone,” an Air Canada spokesperson said in an email to CTVNews.ca.
Air Canada added it intends to “fully abide” by the regulations.
WestJet COO Jeff Martin said in a statement that the fines are mostly due to the abrupt implementation of the regulations.
“The challenges WestJet is facing, and currently working through, have been due to very short timelines coupled with the complexity of Canadian airport operations, such our ability to comply on signage requirements at common-use kiosks and common-use departure gates,” Martin said.
“WestJet will now undertake further meetings with our airport partners, the CTA and other stakeholders to work towards signage compliance as soon as possible.”
Martin added WestJet is proud of its record with passenger care.
An Air Transat spokesperson said in an email that the company intends to appeal the fine.
"Following an analysis of the case, we are of the opinion that the fine imposed by the CTA is not warranted," the spokesperson said.
A spokesperson for Porter Airlines told CTVNews.ca that the company corrected the "minor communication issues" as soon as they were notified of the fines.
Both Porter and Air Transat said they were doing everything they could to comply with the new rules.
A group of 17 airlines, including Air Canada and Porter, has filed a legal challenge against the regulations, arguing that the Canadian Transportation Authority does not have the power to implement them. The Federal Court of Appeal has agreed to hear the appeal.
