Air Transat failed passengers stranded on 2 flights at Ottawa airport, agency decides

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The Canadian Transportation Agency has ruled Air Transat broke its agreement with passengers when it left them in two planes stranded on the tarmac of the Ottawa International Airport July 31.

The agency found that pilots had too much power over how the situation was handled and it resulted in the violation of the airline’s tariff, or agreement with passengers.

The agency has ordered Air Transat clarify the tariff to address how passengers on diverted planes should be treated, as well as pay passengers out-of-pocket expenses.

It also levied an administrative fine of $300,000 against the airline. That fine could be waived if the airline divides the amount and gives it to passengers, between $400 to $500 per person.

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The transportation agency held a two-day hearing in Ottawa in August about the two flights, destined for Montreal from Brussels and Rome, that were diverted to Ottawa due to weather. The agency’s decision was announced on Thursday.

After landing, passengers were kept aboard the planes for more than four hours, in one case with no air-conditioning, food or water. A pair of passengers resorted to calling 911. 

The agency was looking into whether the airline violated its agreement with passengers, called a tariff. The Air Transat tariff says passengers have the right to get off a grounded plane after 90 minutes if the captain decides it is OK, and the crew has to offer drinks and snacks if it is safe to do so.

Passengers faced ‘deplorable’ ordeal

On the first day of the inquiry, passengers described Air Transat’s handling of the situation as “deplorable” and said they were treated like “luggage.”

Air Transat has already offered $400 in compensation to passengers on flight TS157 from Brussels, which was delayed six hours. The airline said it was a gesture of “good faith” because the air-conditioning broke down on that flight.

Passengers on flight TS507 from Rome, who had to wait five hours, were not offered compensation.

Airline, airport blamed each other

Air Transat told the hearing it was trying to avoid financial and logistical complications by keeping passengers aboard the planes as they waited for refuelling.

Officials from the airline said their objective was to get to Montreal as efficiently as possible. Deplaning could have caused more delays as passengers would have to go through customs or hotels would need to be arranged, the inquiry heard.

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Airline representatives said they received no requests to deplane and were repeatedly told refuelling was between 15 and 30 minutes away. In its earliest responses to the incident, Air Transat said that no stairway was available for passengers to exit the planes. 

Air Transat employees testified at the Canadian Transportation Agency inquiry on Aug. 31, defending their handling of the diverted flights. (Ashley Burke/CBC)

The Ottawa International Airport was handling about 20 flights that had been diverted from Toronto and Montreal due to weather on July 31.

The Ottawa International Airport Authority has maintained that it was the responsibility of the airline and its ground contractors to handle deplaning, but that the authority had gates available and would have responded to a request for help if it had been made.

Article source: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/rohingya-challenge-pope-francis-silence-myanmar-171130164008316.html