MONTREAL – Canada’s biggest airlines are opposing a court challenge to rules that advocates say muzzle travellers.
In a filing Wednesday, Air Canada, WestJet, Air Transat and Jazz Aviation asked to intervene in a case over whether Canadian Transportation Agency decisions on passenger complaints are open to the public.
Under a complaint resolution process in place since 2023, customers and airlines are barred from publicly disclosing the outcome of complaints on matters ranging from accessible travel to refunds for a cancelled flight — unless both parties agree to waive confidentiality.
Advocacy group Air Passenger Rights filed a constitutional challenge in Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice in June arguing that Canadians should have access to rulings by the quasi-judicial tribunal.
Group president Gabor Lukacs claims the confidentiality rules amount to a “gag order” that violates freedom of expression and discourages passengers from spreading the word on what their fellow travellers could be owed.
The airlines argue that complaint cases involve submissions with sensitive information that could undermine carriers’ commercial interests and create privacy risks for passengers and employees.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 23, 2026.
Companies in this story: (TSX:AC, TSX:TRZ)
