Transport Minister: Vacation journey gained`t be a repeat of summer time chaos

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra says the upcoming vacation journey season is bound to be a busy one, however that he’s working with air journey stakeholders to make sure the summer time’s flight cancellations and misplaced baggage issues aren’t repeated.

Lengthy wait instances and flight cancellations plagued Canadian travellers all through many of the summer time months, with stories of misplaced baggage and a scarcity of communication from airways. Toronto Pearson Worldwide Airport was additionally ranked the worst airport on the planet for flight delays in July.

However Alghabra informed Joyce Napier on CTV’s Query Interval, in an interview airing Sunday, he’s been working with the CEOs of main airways, airports, and the Canadian Air Transport Safety Authority, amongst others, to make sure a clean vacation journey season.

“Look, Christmas is without doubt one of the busiest instances of the 12 months,” he mentioned. “As a result of it will be one of many busiest instances of the 12 months I count on there will likely be some lineups, however what I wish to ensure that by no means occurs once more is these unacceptable delays that we noticed final summer time, of cancellations, of frustration, of bags loss.”

“We’re going to do every little thing we are able to in authorities to proceed to encourage and strain, and work with our trade companions to ensure that they’re prepared, and that we’re doing every little thing correctly in keeping with the forecasted quantity that’s anticipated,” he additionally mentioned.

Alghabra mentioned it’s nonetheless a Canadian winter, and delays attributable to climate occasions equivalent to snowstorms are at all times a chance, however that “however all of that, the organizations have to be ready and prepared for that busy season.”

Over the summer time, Alghabra repeatedly chalked up a lot of the delays to staffing shortages coming down from of the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m being reassured repeatedly that staffing ranges are the place they have to be,” Alghabra mentioned. “I keep watch over it repeatedly as I mentioned, so I really feel assured.”

“Everybody ought to know that there is an intense focus by everybody that the sector is prepared for the Christmas rush, and I would like individuals to really feel assured,” he additionally mentioned. “That is the primary Christmas in a few years the place we do not have journey restrictions. I do know many individuals wish to go to their family members. I would like them to really feel assured.”

The transport minister held a summit for trade stakeholders in late November to arrange for the upcoming vacation journey season, and “give attention to classes realized from final summer time,” and he mentioned there was a give attention to tips on how to replace how air journey companions share and digitize data, plans to modernize passenger safety screening processes, and assessment the traveller protections laws.