Experts are raising concerns about a proposed overhaul to the country’s air passenger complaints process.
At Senate transport committee hearings this week, law and aviation professors said the would-be reforms could give airlines an edge over customers while failing to address the root causes of a massive complaints backlog.
In April, the Liberals announced plans to import a model similar to those used in the United Kingdom and Europe, where independent adjudicators resolve complaints over issues ranging from flight refunds to accessibility.
The change would mark an end to the current in-house process under the Canadian Transportation Agency, where the backlog sits at a record 98,000 complaints and wait times often exceed two years.
University of Ottawa law professor Paul Daly says delegating decision-making authority to private parties hand-picked by airlines should be “viewed with suspicion” and come with oversight rules to ensure impartiality.
Other experts said the proposed changes, including a 90-day time frame for complaints, mark a step forward for speed and transparency, but that bottlenecks could persist in the courts.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2026.
