The Agency's Role

Agency's role in Canada's air transportation system

The Agency is an independent, quasi-judicial, federal administrative tribunal. Its mandate is set out in the Canada Transportation Act. Its duties include:

• Administering a licensing regime designed to ensure that publicly-available air services operating within Canada are Canadian-owned, and that all publicly-available air services operating within or to and from Canada have appropriate liability insurance. This system also ensures that applicants are financially fit when they start operations and have a reasonable chance of success. The requirements help minimize disruptions in service and protect consumers;

• as the Canadian aeronautical authority, participating in negotiating air transportation agreements between Canada and other countries;

• dealing with air consumer complaints; and

• ordering air carriers to remove undue obstacles to the mobility of persons with disabilities

Changes to the Canada Transportation Act (July 5, 2000)

Amendments to the Canada Transportation Act affecting the Agency include:

• the ability to monitor and review all passenger fares and cargo rates on routes within Canada served by only one carrier;

• the ability to review terms and conditions of carriage for travel within Canada upon complaint;

• changes in the notice requirements for the discontinuance of certain air travel services within Canada from a community with limited air service;

• prohibiting an air carrier from requiring in confidential contracts that one person use its services exclusively;

• determining that any mergers or acquisitions involving airlines in Canada result in an air carrier that is owned and controlled by Canadians;

• establishing an Air Travel Complaints Commissioner to attempt to resolve complaints by consumers against air carriers either directly or in cooperation with other parts of the Agency and other government bodies when the traveller is not satisfied with how an airline has dealt with his or her complaint, and to report to the Governor-in-Council on any general problems he or she observes from those complaints.