Canadian Transportation Agency penalizes Air Canada for violating disabilities regulations

QUEBEC, Canada – The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) has issued an administrative monetary penalty of $97,500 against Air Canada for several violations of the Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations (ATPDR) related to its obligations around providing services to a person with a disability.

On August 30, 2023, Air Canada failed to assist a wheelchair user to disembark its aircraft. The passenger, who has spastic cerebral palsy and is unable to move his legs, was forced to disembark the aircraft on his own. In addition, while the passenger was waiting in the terminal, Air Canada failed to ensure that their personnel periodically inquired about his needs.

Contraventions relate to subsections 35(f), 35(h) and 37(b) of the ATPDR. Air Canada has 30 days to request a review before the Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada.

A number of administrative monetary penalties have been issued for violations of the ATPDR in recent weeks. These can be found on – Enforcement actions taken by the CTA’s enforcement officers.

The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) is the federal independent regulator and quasi-judicial tribunal.

The CTA’s mandates are:

• To help ensure that the national transportation system runs efficiently and smoothly in the interests of all Canadians: those who work and invest in it; the producers, shippers, travellers, and businesses who rely on it; and the communities where it operates.
• To provide consumer protection for air passengers.
• To protect the human right of persons with disabilities to an accessible transportation network.