Ottawa, ON, December 23, 2024 – Jeff Morrison, President and CEO of the National Airlines Council of Canada (NACC), which represents Canada’s largest air carriers (Air Canada, Air Transat, Jazz Aviation LP and WestJet), issued the following statement in response to the release of proposed regulations under the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR):

“The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) has released updated proposed regulations under the APPR regime.  Throughout the initial consultation period in 2023, the CTA heard significant concerns from a diverse range of organizations, including provinces and territories, municipalities, airports, small and large airlines, international organizations, chambers of commerce, unions, tourism groups, and regional entities.  Concerns included the negative impact that the CTA’s proposals would have on regional connectivity, cost of air travel, ability to meet regulatory requirements, impact on pilots, and so forth.  The proposed regulations fall short of addressing these concerns, as they provide for requirements that are costly, burdensome and do not take into consideration the complex operational reality of airlines.  If adopted, they would impact affordability and connectivity for Canadians.  Over the coming days, we will review in greater detail the CTA’s newest proposals and will submit our comments in the course of the consultation process.

Despite the absence of any new regulations, Canadian airlines have demonstrated substantial progress in improving air travel performance, delivering more efficient, predictable and reliable service to passengers.  Furthermore, as many experts during the consultation period confirmed, since the introduction of a similar passenger rights regime in the European Union over 10 years ago (EU261), there has been no direct impact on performance, but costs have risen significantly.

Canada’s airlines strongly believe the federal government needs to focus its efforts on improving the competitiveness of the overall air travel system and its affordability, and will not add costs to the system.  The federal government must support the system by reinvesting airport rent into airport infrastructure, reforming the CTA claims adjudication process to reduce the existing backlog, reviewing all federal fees and charges, and modernizing Canada’s regulatory regime. 

Canada’s airlines will continue to advocate for changes that will positively improve air travel in Canada – something APPR reforms cannot do.”

About the National Airlines Council of Canada:

The National Airlines Council of Canada represents Canada’s largest national and international passenger air carriers:  Air Canada, Air Transat, Jazz Aviation LP and WestJet.  It promotes safe, sustainable, accessible and competitive air travel by advocating for the development of policies, regulations and legislation to foster a world-class transportation system.

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