No. H043/02For release - April 18, 2002
OTTAWA — Transport Minister David Collenette today released the third report from the Air Travel Complaints Commissioner, Bruce Hood. The report, which covers the period July 2001-December 2001, notes a 29 percent drop in the number of complaints, and indicates that settlements reasonable to complainants and airlines have been reached in 75 percent of the cases closed by the commissioner.
"I am pleased that the commissioner is reporting a decrease in the number of complaints compared to the last reporting period," said Mr. Collenette. "Mr. Hood continues to build upon his observations by recommending possible practices to help air carriers improve the services they provide to Canadians travelling by air."
Mr. Hood was appointed Air Travel Complaints Commissioner by the Government of Canada on August 1, 2000. His role is to review complaints about air travel that have not been resolved by airlines to the satisfaction of travellers. As part of his role, the commissioner can mediate or arrange for mediation. He also has the authority to obtain any document, record or material that will help resolve a complaint. As a member of the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA), the commissioner has at his disposal all of the resources and powers of the agency.
"There are strong signs in recent weeks that the industry has begun to recover and that greater competition is continuing to emerge in Canada's airline industry," added Mr. Collenette. "This report will help Canadian carriers and the government further identify areas where improvements can be made, which can only lead to more people flying."
The Air Travel Complaints Commissioner is required to provide a public report to the Government of Canada at least once every six months. The commissioner's first and second reports were released on March 29, 2001, and November 29, 2001, respectively.
The Air Travel Complaints Commissioner can be contacted through Jadrino Huot, Communications Advisor, Canadian Transportation Agency, at (819) 953-9957.
The report is available on the CTA's web site at www.cta-otc.gc.ca.
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Contact:
Anthony PolciDirector of CommunicationsOffice of the Minister, Ottawa(613) 991-0700
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