Travellers make their way through Pearson International Airport in Toronto Monday, Nov. 14, 2022. The federal government is moving to bolster accountability at airports, introducing new legislation that could force them to cough up more information on their performance. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston
OTTAWA – The federal government is moving to bolster accountability at airports, introducing new legislation that would compel them to cough up more information on their performance.
Tabled in the House of Commons today, the bill paves the way for new rules requiring airports and other airport operators to create service standards and publish data that can be compared against those benchmarks.
Ottawa says the standards could track outcomes ranging from security screening wait times to how long it takes luggage to reach the carousel.
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra says a disruption at one end of the travel system can have ripple effects across the entire network, prompting the move toward more transparency.
It is not clear from the bill whether violations of the industry-created service standards would be penalized.
Arriving just before the House rises for the summer, the legislation also comes as air travel ramps up for the summer after a year pocked with airport chaos and flight delays.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2023.
