Transport Minister Omar Algabra rises during a period of questions in Ottawa on May 2, 2022. Adrian Wilde / The Canadian Press
Airlines must take responsibility for the travel turbulence that is developing at airports across the country, Transport Minister Omar Algabra says.
The federal government is trying to respond to scenes of endless queues, flight delays and daily airport disruptions – especially at Pearson Airport in Toronto – a problem the aviation industry blames for a shortage of federal security and customs officials.
“Airlines also have an obligation. We hear some stories about luggage problems and flight cancellations. So cancellation – we want to make sure that the airlines also play their part, “Mr Algabra told reporters in Ottawa on Tuesday.
“We make sure the airlines meet their end of the deal.”
John Gradek, head of McGill University’s aviation management program, says airlines have used Ottawa as a “scapegoat” while planning more flights than staff or planes, leading to delays and cancellations.
“Airlines have basically shot themselves in the leg, really throwing a lot more capacity into the world than they have the resources to handle,” he said.
“They are very aggressive in the market, they get a lot of traffic – planes often have a 90 percent load factor – and they have no inactive assets hanging around in case things go wrong. And then it’s a formula for disaster when things start to go wrong. “
Passengers receive last minute emails informing them of multiple delays, aircraft changes or reservations scheduled days after the initial departure time. These reasons range from absent pilots and baggage handlers to unplanned mechanical maintenance.
Fractures in one part of the air travel pipeline could affect others, such as crowded customs zones stopping crews from getting off board, or a lack of airline customer service agents, exacerbating delays.
The Canadian Air Security Authority has hired more than 900 inspectors since April, although many are still being trained, Mr Algabra said. Ottawa has also suspended randomized COVID-19 tests on vaccinated passengers until at least June 30, following the sector’s demands for faster processing of international passengers.
Not all industry observers agree with the transport minister’s opinion on more than two months of travel turbulence.
“Airlines must take responsibility, especially for the care of their customers. But he is dishonest in his attempts to shift the blame, “said Duncan Dee, former Air Canada chief operating officer.
“No airline anywhere on the planet can provide staff or spare enough aircraft to make up for the nearly 90-day delays caused by Canadian government failures so far.
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