Opposition parties demand passenger refunds as condition of any airline bailouts

The Liberal government should ensure airline passengers receive refunds for flights cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, opposition parties demanded Monday. The demand follows seven months of trickling revenues for carriers devastated by the collapse in global travel, with passenger numbers in Canada down 90% year over year in July and little improvement since. Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc left the door open to a bailout, including the purchase of airline shares by Ottawa, in an interview Sunday. LeBlanc said Canadians expect stringent conditions on any federal airline funding, such as addressing the issue of travel vouchers. The Conservatives and NDP highlighted reimbursement as a key condition of a potential bailout. "If sector support is provided, it absolutely must be tied to refunds for passengers," Conservative transport critic Stephanie Kusie said in an email, calling the need for aid "beyond urgent." NDP transport critic Niki Ashton said thousands of customers have been "ripped off" after paying for a service that was never rendered and receiving travel vouchers instead of reimbursement, leaving many out of pocket during a recession. "It's not about helping CEOs, it's about protecting Canadian jobs and making sure passengers get their money back," Ashton said during question period in the House of Commons.<br/>