Canadian airlines have called for a change in rules which currently forces them to pick up the tab for passengers turned away for invalid travel documents or failed asylum applications.
There are ‘numerous scenarios’ in which carriers have to pay to fly passengers back to their home country, sometimes several years later when refugee claims are denied.
Air Canada wants a full review of current procedures in a submission to a federal hearing studying transportation policy.
The airline says it should not be held liable for passengers who are refused entry if they are found to have a criminal record or are refused residency status, something the airline has no control over.
"These passengers are often violently opposed to leaving Canada and there are significant security costs involved in these deportations, all of which are borne by the airline. In some cases, Air Canada has had to lease private jets to repatriate particularly uncooperative cases," Air Canada said.
"In extreme cases, should the passenger become ill and be hospitalized before they leave Canada, carriers are even expected to pick up the medical bills."
Air Canada has proposed the Canadian government bears the cost of returning a passenger when valid travel documents were produced prior to boarding a flight.
"The passenger is either unwilling or unable to pay. It is simply unfair to make airlines responsible for these costs, when the passenger had the required documents to travel to Canada and the passenger themselves tried to circumvent Canada’s immigration programs."
Trade group the National Airlines Council of Canada also weighed in on the issue, saying: "The airline should not be asked to pay for the removal of the passenger."
