Ottawa, air sector discuss industry concerns ahead of winter travel season

Delays at security check-in and other problems at Canada’s airports were among the concerns raised Thursday as the air travel industry came together ahead of the busy winter travel season, but the sector warns more remains to be done. Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra convened the summit for the industry to discuss such issues as transparency, accountability and passenger rights. “The air industry was devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Alghabra in a press release “Last summer, the industry faced a new crisis of congestion and delays.” Alghabra noted that passenger volumes rose 280% between February and June. The high passenger volumes and inadequate staffing levels contributed to a summer of lost baggage and flight disruptions, during which Toronto’s Pearson International Airport had the world’s worst record on delayed flights. With the peak winter travel season around the corner, passengers and industry alike are concerned that similar problems may emerge. Key issues discussed at the summit include the persistent labour shortage, inflation and loss of revenue, Alghabra said in a phone interview. He said despite the remaining pilot shortage, air sector staffing is mostly back to 2019 levels, but problems around training delays such as security screeners remain. “It takes some time to train an employee in the sector,” said Alghabra. The head of the Canadian Airport Council says that capital expenses are a concern, as Canadian airports took on $3.2b in debt to continue operations during the pandemic.<br/>