Canadian Transportation Agency to Examine Airline Response to PVR Disruptions

The Canadian Transportation Agency says it will probe the recent flight disruptions in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and whether Canadian carriers have lived up to their responsibilities.

The airline regulator said in response to inquiries from CBC News that air carriers taking Canadians abroad have a responsibility to get delayed or stranded passengers back home “as soon as possible,” including in circumstances such as the violence that disrupted service to Mexico’s Pacific Coast destination Puerto Vallarta a week ago.

“For flight delays or cancellations, airlines must try to minimize the impacts that they have on passengers and their travel,” the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) told CBC News by email, in response to a question about an Ontario couple’s days-long wait for a flight out of Puerto Vallarta.

“They must always ensure that passengers can complete their itinerary as soon as possible.”

Canadian airlines abruptly halted service to PVR on Sunday, February 22, following an eruption of violence in several parts of Mexico after government forces killed a high-profile cartel leader. Some flights turned around en route, but for some Canadians already in destination, getting home hasn’t been easy.

Days later, some passengers were still waiting to get home, and complaints were flooding in to an agency which already has a large backlog of air passenger gripes. The CTA says it will examine the issues.

“This entails gathering evidence to make sure that airlines met all requirements stipulated in the applicable laws and regulations pertaining to this specific event,” the CTA said in an emailed statement.

CTA investigations can lead to notices of violation and monetary penalties.

Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR) require airlines to rebook passengers within a 48-hour window, free of charge, when delays or cancellations occur amid circumstances falling outside of the airline’s control. 

If that can’t be accomplished, airline are required to get affected passengers on any flight by any airline, including at another airport, if such an option exists.