United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
Canadian Transportation Agency to hold public hearing on Air Transat tarmac delays
The Canadian Transportation Agency will take the unusual step of holding a public hearing on why two Air Transat planes sat for hours on the tarmac at Ottawa Airport.
The agency said it plans to hold a public hearing on August 30-31..
Before then it is seeking written and verbal submissions from anyone involved or affected by the incident.
Air Transat and Ottawa Airport have been playing the blame game since the incident a week ago which played out on social media with passengers confined to the cabin for up to six hours.
Two jets bound for Montreal were initially rerouted to the airport due to bad weather.
The under pressure airline’s president Jean-Francois Lemay said airports should be compelled to ‘provide critical infrastructure and related operational ground support in a timely manner.’
"Indeed, as we have clearly seen in this case, the tendency is to focus solely on the actions of the airline," Lemay wrote in the letter yo the agency.
"This must not be the basis for informed legislation going forward."
That legislation is a passenger bill of rights which is expected to be approved by the end of the year.
"When passengers buy an airline ticket, they expect and deserve that the airline will respect its agreement with them. When the terms of that agreement are not met, passengers should know their rights and be entitled to compensation where appropriate," said Transport Minister Marc Garneau.
"There should be a certain minimum standard of treatment when things do not go as planned."
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Exploring Brooklands Museum with Alex Patterson
Global Tourism Challenges and Upcoming Events: A Conversation with Don Welsh
Peebles Barbeque: A Legacy of Flavor and Tradition
Exploring Bok Tower Gardens with Erica Smith
Rue’s Living Water Boat Cruises: Exploring Winter Haven’s Chain of Lakes
Durango and Silverton Railroad: A Timeless Journey Through History and Scenic Beauty
Walt Leger on New Orleans’ Resilience and Major Events Ahead
Cindy Mackin Shares Estes Park’s Winter Thrills
Mark Jaronski of Explore Georgia on FIFA World Cup 2026
Connecting Small Businesses to Global Tourism Markets: Nate Huff of Tourism Exchange
North Carolina’s Resilience: Wit Tuttell on Recovery and Tourism
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
Qatar Airways adding Manchester flights
EU entry-exit system delayed again
ATC strike in Greece could disrupt flights this week
Jet2 unveils Samos as new Greek destination for summer 2026
Icelandair launches inaugural flight to Nashville