Inquiry on the failures at Air Transat

Photo archives Agence QMI, Sebastien St-Jean

QMI agency

Wednesday, August 2, 2017 17:09

UPDATE
Wednesday, August 2, 2017 17:09

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GATINEAU – The Canadian transportation agency announced Wednesday the opening of an investigation on the delay of flights from Air Transat at the Ottawa airport on Monday.

The Board questioned inter alia on the circumstances surrounding the delay of two flights of the carrier were held for several hours on the ground at the Macdonald-Cartier international Airport to Ottawa, Monday.

“The CTA ordered among others to Air Transat to indicate if, at the time of the incidents, it has complied with the conditions of carriage applicable to international flights (the tariff), specifically as it affects the services offered to passengers stuck on board the aircraft”, we read in a press release.

“We will do the work as quickly as possible, but we will take the time required to obtain all the facts,” added the president and chief executive officer of the CTA, Scott Streiner.

The Office also recalls that, under the transportation Act in Canada, it may order the carrier to take corrective measures. “The complaints will drop off passengers at the CTA in connection with the incidents that occurred Monday, will be processed in the context of this investigation”, has assured this.

Hundreds of passengers returning from Brussels had to wait for hours, in the end of the day Monday, on the tarmac of the Ottawa airport. Because of the violent storms in Montreal, the flight TS157 Air Transat had to ask Ottawa.

On Tuesday, the airline stated that “the staff of the Ottawa airport has not been able to provide walkways or stairs that would have allowed our passenger to leave our equipment on the ground, and the device from Brussels, be to refuel drinking water, the latter being exhausted at the end of the flight”.

For its part, the Administration of the Ottawa international airport said it was “disappointed” with the response of the carrier, ensuring that his teams were ready to intervene.

“Our employees have tried to contact the crew several times through their service of handling to offer additional assistance, but we have not received any response from the crew about the aid that we provide,” explained Tuesday, Krista Kealey, spokesperson for the Administration.