Canadian Transportation Agency's 2023-24 Departmental results report

Table of contents

Read a summary of the Departmental results report

From the Chair and Chief Executive Officer

Headshot of France Pégeot

France Pégeot
Chair and Chief Executive Officer

The last fiscal year (2023-2024) was a period of transformation and renewal at the Canadian Transportation Agency (Agency).

Over the past several years the Agency has had to adapt to important changes to the environment within which it operates and more specifically changes to each of its three key areas of responsibility, namely: the efficiency of the national transportation system; consumer protection for air passengers; and the human right of persons with disabilities to an accessible transportation network. This is highlighted by a significant increase in the number of requests being submitted to the Agency. From requests for level of service dispute resolutions and applications for construction in rail, to complaints related to air passenger protections and accessibility, the Agency has seen meaningful increases in the level of demand for many of its core functions.

In response to the changing demands, at the beginning of 2023 the Agency was provided $75.9 million over three years primarily to support the processing of air passenger complaints, but also to better enable the Agency to efficiently deliver on its core mandate for Canadians. Then on June 22, 2023, Parliament passed the Budget Implementation Act (BIA) which provided the Agency the ability to streamline its air complaints process, develop new stronger regulations for passenger protections, begin implementing a pilot to temporarily extend interswitching distance and begin the process to cost recover.

As a result of the changing environment, the increase in demand for Agency services, and the tools provided by parliament over the past year, the Agency has made significant investments in its processes, its systems and data, and how it delivers on its mandate for Canadians.

This is highlighted by the successful launch of the Complaints Resolution Office (CRO) for air travel complaints. In response to the BIA and in only 3 months the Agency completely redesigned and implemented a new streamlined complaints process which launched officially on September 30, 2023. It was designed to be more straightforward, rapid, and cost-effective, with clearly established timelines and a greater ability to benefit from automation. By the end of the fiscal year, the new CRO was staffed with 112 resolution officers, who were hired and trained in waves, and processed roughly 11,000 complaints over the 6 month period. To put this in perspective, 11,158 cases were processed for the entire 2022-2023 fiscal year.

These preliminary results are promising and it is anticipated that this process will become increasingly performant with the adoption of new technology, tools and with experience, but it is also important to recognize that the backlog of complaints continued to grow in 2023-2024 reaching 71,109 by the end of the period. Unfortunately there continues to be an unpredictably high volume of received complaints and the Agency received a record 43,549 complaints over the fiscal year, a second straight year over 40,000 and roughly double the number we received in 2021-2022. The Agency remains committed to continuously improve its processes and close as many cases as possible with the resources it has been provided.

At the same time, the recent legislative amendments were also made to strengthen the air passenger protections regime by requiring compensation for all flight disruptions except in the case of exceptional circumstances, which will be established in regulations by the Agency, and to put the burden of proof on airlines. To that end, a first phase of consultations on proposed modifications to the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR) was conducted in the summer of 2023, and in the year ahead, the regulatory process will continue.

The legislative amendments also provide for cost recovery from airlines for the processing of eligible passenger complaints, for which the Agency will initiate the process, starting with public consultations in the coming year.

Finally, the Agency remains committed to improving the accessibility of the transportation system using all the tools it has to achieve results for persons with disabilities including specifically issues concerning the safe transportation of mobility aids and the training of employees in the transportation industry. These are issues that have gained important attention over the past year and there is an important opportunity for the Agency and for Canada to meaningfully advance the rights of persons with disabilities in these areas and in particular internationally. The ATPDR are world leading and providing greater consistency for persons with disabilities traveling internationally would represent a significant step forward.

As the Agency navigates these transformative times, I am grateful to be able to count on a highly professional staff of public servants and appointed Members, without whom this period of change and renewal would not have been possible.

In 2024, the Agency was named as one of the Top Employers in the National Capital Region. We were recognized for our commitment to creating a positive and inclusive work environment and our dedication to offering competitive benefits, professional development opportunities, and a supportive workplace culture.

I am confident that Canadians will continue to be well served by the professionalism, integrity and dedication of the team at the Canadian Transportation Agency.

France Pégeot

Results – what we achieved

Core responsibilities and internal services

Core responsibility 1: Independent regulatory and dispute-resolution services for transportation providers and users

Description

Set and enforce economic, accessibility, and air passenger protection rules for the national transportation system; resolve disputes between transportation service providers and users through facilitation, mediation, arbitration, and adjudication; and provide information to stakeholders and Canadians in general on the transportation system and their transportation-related rights and responsibilities.

Progress on results

This section presents details on how the department performed to achieve results and meet targets for Independent regulatory and dispute-resolution services for transportation providers and users. Details are presented by departmental result.

Table 1: Targets and results for independent regulatory and dispute-resolution services for transportation providers and users

Table 1 provides a summary of the target and actual results for each indicator associated with the results under independent regulatory and dispute-resolution services for transportation providers and users.

Table 1.1: An efficient, competitive national transportation system
Departmental Result Indicators
Target
Date to achieve target
Actual results
Transportation Fluidity Index
TBD
September 2025
  • 2021–22: Not available
  • 2022–23: Not available
  • 2023–24: Not available
Percentage of regulatory authorities issued,
and determination cases resolved within service standards
85%
March 2024
  • 2021–22: 94%
  • 2022–23: 95%
  • 2023–24: 98%
Percentage of disputes resolved within service standards
80%
March 2025
  • 2021–22: 26%
  • 2022–23: 48%
  • 2023–24: 59%
Table 1.2: Persons with disabilities have access to justice and accessible transportation services
Departmental Result Indicators
Target
Date to achieve target
Actual results
Percentage of accessibility disputes resolved within service standards
80%
March 2024
  • 2021–22: 75%
  • 2022–23: 91%
  • 2023–24: 84%
Number of air travel accessibility complaints per 100 flights
TBD
March 2025
  • 2021–22: Not available
  • 2022–23: 0.03
  • 2023–24: 0.04
Table 1.3: Consumers have access to justice and protection for air travel
Departmental Result Indicators
Target
Date to achieve target
Actual results
Number of air travel consumer complaints per 100 flights
TBD
March 2025
  • 2021–22: Not available
  • 2022–23: 4.24
  • 2023–24: 4.10
Percentage of air consumer protection disputes resolved
within service standards
85%
March 2024
  • 2021–22: 28%
  • 2022–23: 3%
  • 2023–24: Not available*

* During the 2023-2024 fiscal year, and as a result of the Budget Implementation Act (BIA), the Agency implemented a new streamlined complaints process which launched officially on September 30, 2023. The Agency will amend its departmental results framework over the coming year to reflect the changes. The enabling legislation requires that complaints processed under the new Complaints Resolution Office be processed within a maximum of 90 days of their start. Currently, 99% of complaints are meeting this timeline.

Additional information on the detailed results and performance information for the Canadian Transportation Agency’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Details on results

The following section describes the results for Independent regulatory and dispute-resolution services for transportation providers and users in 2023–24 compared with the planned results set out in Canadian Transportation Agency’s departmental plan for the year.

Key risks

Unpredictability of air travel complaint volumes: In recent years, the Agency has experienced a significant and continuous increase in air travel complaints. Although the Agency has been provided with additional temporary funding to deal with more air travel complaints, the volume of incoming complaints is difficult to predict and makes planning for case processing wait times and then providing accurate information to the public a challenge. To mitigate this risk, the Agency continues to review and streamline business processes and procedures and to deploy new technologies and tools. The Agency will also move forward with changes to the APPR and implement cost recovery for eligible air passenger complaints.

Implementation of legislative and regulatory changes: The updates to the Act require the Agency to revise significant aspects of its activities, implement new measures, modify services, regulations, and its internal systems, all in a short period of time. The new Complaints Resolution Office (CRO) for air travel complaints was established just three months after the legislative amendments were enacted. This led to substantial organizational and procedural changes, recruitment and training of new personnel, and enhanced stakeholder engagement to facilitate the new process. Moving forward, the Agency will build upon its experiences from the past year to further streamline the efficiency of its processes.

Level of Temporary Funding: A significant portion of the Agency's budget is temporary (37% in 2023-24), and many employees are not permanent, often leaving for permanent positions elsewhere when opportunities arise. This leads to greater allocation of time and resources to staffing and training, accompanied by a decrease in productivity. Consequently, the Agency is diligently monitoring and managing its financial resources to optimize staffing, onboarding, and training processes within the constraints of available funding.

Resources required to achieve results

Table 2: Snapshot of resources required for independent regulatory and dispute-resolution services for transportation providers and users

Table 2 provides a summary of the planned and actual spending and full-time equivalents required to achieve results.

Table 2 provides a summary of the planned and actual spending and full-time equivalents required to achieve results.
Resource
Planned
Actual
Spending
22,451,377
38,592,596
Full-time equivalents
186
287

The 2023-24 planned resources were set out in the 2023-24 Departmental Plan. However, since the tabling of the 2023-24 Departmental Plan, the Agency received approval for $20.6 million in temporary funding via Budget 2023. This renewal and increase in temporary funding allowed the Agency to increase its staff complement in order to continue to respond to a higher number of air passenger and accessibility related complaints as well as continue its comprehensive review of business processes in order to better serve Canadians. The 2023-24 actual resources are a reflection of this increase in funding.

Complete financial and human resources information for the Canadian Transportation Agency’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Related government-wide priorities

Program inventory

Independent regulatory and dispute-resolution services for transportation providers and users is supported by the following programs:

  • Determinations and Compliance
  • Dispute Resolution

Additional information related to the program inventory for Independent regulatory and dispute-resolution services for transportation providers and users is available on the Results page on GC InfoBase.

Internal services

Description

Internal services are the services that are provided within a department so that it can meet its corporate obligations and deliver its programs. There are 10 categories of internal services:

  • management and oversight services
  • communications services
  • legal services
  • human resources management services
  • financial management services
  • information management services
  • information technology services
  • real property management services
  • materiel management services
  • acquisition management services

Progress on results

This section presents details on how the department performed to achieve results and meet targets for internal services.

In 2023-24, the Canadian Transportation Agency worked on creating a more inclusive, barrier-free and safe workplace for all employees through several activities:

  • Recruitment moved forward to help address the increasing number of complaints arising from the new regulatory framework that the Agency has the responsibility to implement. Over 100 employees were onboarded and trained in the past year;
  • The flexibility provided by a hybrid work model has enabled the Agency to staff outside of the National Capital Region, which has contributed to increased the representation of equity-seeking groups within the Agency and help create a more diverse workforce;
  • A number of promotional activities throughout the year in support of diversity and inclusion were initiated by the HR team and the Diversity and Inclusion Committee; and
  • In 2024, the Agency was named as one of the Top Employers in the National Capital Region.
    • The Agency was recognized for our commitment to creating a positive and inclusive work environment and our dedication to offering competitive benefits, professional development opportunities, and a supportive workplace culture.

Additional investments in information technology and information management have allowed the Agency to deliver more modern, accessible and secure digital tools and applications in 2023-24 through a number of initiatives:

  • The Agency continued the modernization of its case management system by retiring former aging platforms and introducing automation and data analytics to improve dispute resolution processes and better manage the influx of air and accessibility complaints.
  • Further improvements were made to IM/IT systems to meet legislative requirements and enhance the Agency's security posture.

Resources required to achieve results

Table 3: Resources required to achieve results for internal services this year

Table 3 provides a summary of the planned and actual spending and full-time equivalents required to achieve results.

Table 3 provides a summary of the planned and actual spending and full-time equivalents required to achieve results.
Resource
Planned
Actual
Spending
8,894,185
16,683,128
Full-time equivalents
52
93

The 2023-24 planned resources stem from the 2023-24 Departmental Plan. However, since the tabling of the 2023-24 Departmental Plan, the Agency received approval for $20.6 million in temporary funding via Budget 2023. This renewal and increase in temporary funding allowed the Agency to make investments in technology to improve its systems as well as better support the Agency's increased efforts in providing dispute resolution services to Canadians. The 2023-24 actual resources are a reflection of this increase in funding.

The complete financial and human resources information for the Canadian Transportation Agency’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses

Government of Canada departments are to meet a target of awarding at least 5% of the total value of contracts to Indigenous businesses each year. This commitment is to be fully implemented by the end of 2024–25.

Canadian Transportation Agency's result for 2023-24:

As shown in the Table 4, Canadian Transportation Agency awarded 13.35% of the total value of all contracts to Indigenous businesses for the fiscal year.

Table 4: Total value of contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses Footnote a
Contracting performance indicators
2023-24 Results
Total value of contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses Footnote b (A)
$ 462,495
Total value of contracts awarded to Indigenous and non‑Indigenous businesses Footnote c (B)
$ 3,463,939
Value of exceptions approved by deputy head (C)
$ 0
Proportion of contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses [A / (B−C) × 100]
13.35 %

A key part of the Agency's procurement strategy for the 2023-24 fiscal year was to utilize Voluntary Set-Asides for Indigenous Businesses, whereby federal departments/agencies may designate any procurement as being restricted exclusively to qualified Indigenous suppliers. The Agency procurement officials worked with contracting officers from Public Services and Procurement Canada to meet and exceed the 5% performance objectives under the program, by identifying opportunities for voluntary Procurement Strategy for Indigenous Business (PSIB) set-asides, when qualified Indigenous suppliers were known to exist in the marketplace.

An internal report is used to track the percentage of contracts and additional measures may be taken if the percentage is not on track with the Agency's planned target of 5%.

The Agency procurement officials have completed the mandatory course "Indigenous Considerations in Procurement" (COR409) from the Canada School of Public Service.

In its 2024–25 Departmental Plan, the department forecasted that, by the end of 2023–24, it would award 5 % of the total value of its contracts to Indigenous businesses.

Spending and human resources

Spending

This section presents an overview of the department's actual and planned expenditures from 2021–22 to 2026–27.

Graph 1: Actual spending by core responsibility in 2023-24

Graph 1 presents how much the department spent in 2023–24 to carry out core responsibilities and internal services.

Budgetary performance summary

Table 5: Actual three-year spending on core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)

Table 5 presents how much money Canadian Transportation Agency spent over the past three years to carry out its core responsibilities and for internal services.

Table 5 presents how much money Canadian Transportation Agency spent over the past three years to carry out its core responsibilities and for internal services.
Core responsibilities and internal services
2023–24 Main Estimates
2023–24 total authorities available for use
Actual spending over three years (authorities used)
Independent regulatory and dispute-resolution services for transportation providers and users
22,483,668
37,734,022
  • 2021–22: 29,722,148
  • 2022–23: 29,219,423
  • 2023–24: 38,592,596
Internal services
8,904,136
17,926,830
  • 2021–22: 13,165,739
  • 2022–23: 11,910,894
  • 2023–24: 16,683,128
Total
31,387,804
55,660,852
  • 2021–22: 42,887,887
  • 2022–23: 41,130,317
  • 2023–24: 55,275,724
Table 6: Planned three-year spending on core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)

Table 6 presents how much money Canadian Transportation Agency’s plans to spend over the next three years to carry out its core responsibilities and for internal services.

Table 6 presents how much money Canadian Transportation Agency’s plans to spend over the next three years to carry out its core responsibilities and for internal services.
Core responsibilities and internal services
2024–25 planned spending
2025–26 planned spending
2026–27 planned spending
Independent regulatory and dispute-resolution services for transportation providers and users
40,103,789
39,789,227
23,884,925
Internal services
16,155,598
16,028,878
9,621,915
Total
56,259,387
55,818,105
33,506,840

Funding

This section provides an overview of the department's voted and statutory funding for its core responsibilities and for internal services. For further information on funding authorities, consult the Government of Canada budgets and expenditures.

Graph 2: Approved funding (statutory and voted) over a six-year period

Graph 2 summarizes the department's approved voted and statutory funding from 2021-22 to 2026-27.

For further information on Canadian Transportation Agency’s departmental voted and statutory expenditures, consult the Public Accounts of Canada.

Financial statement highlights

Canadian Transportation Agency’s complete financial statements (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2024, are available online.

Table 7: Condensed Statement of Operations (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2024 (dollars)

Table 7 summarizes the expenses and revenues for 2023–24 which net to the cost of operations before government funding and transfers.
Financial information
2023–24 actual results
2023–24 planned results
Difference (actual results minus planned)
Total expenses
60,808,420
35,497,737
25,310,683
Total revenues
 
-
131
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers
60,808,289
35,497,737
25,310,552

The 2023-24 planned results information is provided in Canadian Transportation Agency’s Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and Notes 2023–24.

Table 8 summarizes actual expenses and revenues which net to the cost of operations before government funding and transfers.
Financial information
2023–24 actual results
2022–23 actual results
Difference (2023-24 minus 2022-23)
Total expenses
60,808,420
45,753,857
15,054,563
Total revenues
131
304
(173)
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers
60,808,289
45,753,553
15,054,736

Table 9 Condensed Statement of Financial Position (unaudited) as of March 31, 2024 (dollars)

Table 9 provides a brief snapshot of the department’s liabilities (what it owes) and assets (what the department owns), which helps to indicate its ability to carry out programs and services.

Financial information
Actual fiscal year (2023–24)
Previous fiscal year (2022–23)
Difference (2023–24 minus 2022–23)
Total net liabilities
11,002,167
7,323,793
3,678,374
Total net financial assets
7,801,884
4,576,366
3,225,518
Departmental net debt
3,200,283
2,747,427
452,856
Total non-financial assets
1,902,580
1,035,371
867,209
Departmental net financial position
(1,297,703)
(1,712,056)
414,353

Human resources

This section presents an overview of the department’s actual and planned human resources from 2021–22 to 2026–27.

Table 10: Actual human resources for core responsibilities and internal services

Table 10 shows a summary of human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for the Agency’s core responsibilities and for its internal services for the previous three fiscal years.

Table 10 shows a summary of human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for the Agency’s core responsibilities and for its internal services for the previous three fiscal years.
Core responsibilities and internal services
2021–22 actual full-time equivalents
2022–23 actual full-time equivalents
2023–24 actual full-time equivalents
Independent regulatory and dispute-resolution services for transportation providers and users
245
224
287
Internal services
68
70
93
Total
313
294
380

Table 11: Human resources planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services

Table 11 shows information on human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for each of the Agency’s core responsibilities and for its internal services planned for the next three years. Human resources for the current fiscal year are forecasted based on year to date.

Table 11 shows information on human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for each of the Agency’s core responsibilities and for its internal services planned for the next three years. Human resources for the current fiscal year are forecasted based on year to date.
Core responsibilities and internal services
2024–25 planned full-time equivalents
2025–26 planned full-time equivalents
2026–27 planned full-time equivalents
Independent regulatory and dispute-resolution services for transportation providers and users
338
321
276
Internal services
105
92
92
Total
443
413
368

Corporate information

Supplementary information tables

The following supplementary information tables are available on the Agency’s website:

Federal tax expenditures

The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures such as low tax rates, exemptions, deductions, deferrals and credits. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures. This report also provides detailed background information on tax expenditures, including descriptions, objectives, historical information and references to related federal spending programs as well as evaluations and GBA Plus of tax expenditures.

Definitions

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