Proposed Regulations Amending the Air Passenger Protection Regulations

The Proposed Regulations Amending the Air Passenger Protection Regulations, which would provide new refund requirements, are now published in Part I of the Canada Gazette for public review and comment.

These proposed regulations, that would apply to all future flights to, from and within Canada, including connecting flights, aim to protect passengers by requiring airlines to provide passengers with refunds in the event of flight cancellations or lengthy delays, outside the airline's control, that prevent it from ensuring that passengers complete their itinerary within a reasonable time.

How to comment

The text of the proposed regulations is available in Part I of the Canada Gazette. For a quick summary, consult the CTA’s Highlights of Proposed Airline Refund Requirements. Comments can be submitted to Consultations-aeriennes.Air-Consultations@otc-cta.gc.ca until October 1, 2021.

Next steps

All the input received following the publication of the proposed regulations in Part I of the Canada Gazette will be given careful consideration, and the CTA may propose adjustments based on this feedback. Once approved by CTA Members and the Governor in Council (Cabinet), final regulations will be published in Part II of the Canada Gazette. The CTA aims to finalize the Regulations as soon as possible.

Background

On December 21, 2020, the CTA launched a consultation seeking feedback on the specifics of the new requirements. During the consultation process, the CTA received a total of 119 submissions – 100 submissions from members of the public, 11 submissions from airlines and other industry representatives, four submissions from consumer advocates and four from travel agencies and insurance industry representatives. The CTA has released its What We Heard Report, summarizing the input received.