Air Canada's apology to the country's domestic community

"Michael Rousseau, CEO of AirCanada, has apologized for the existing shortcomings in accessibility for the airline and announced new measures to improve the travel experience for hundreds of thousands of passengers with disabilities.

On Friday, November 9, 2023, Rousseau stated that following recent reports of mistreatment of passengers, including an incident where a man with spastic cerebral palsy had to drag himself off the plane in Las Vegas due to a lack of assistance, the airline will be conducting a three-year program to review and address the challenges faced by passengers with disabilities during their flights. He acknowledged that there have been times when they have not lived up to these commitments and sincerely apologized to the affected individuals. He pledged to do better and demonstrate this commitment through future actions.

The initiatives by AirCanada include creating an accessible boarding route for passengers who require assistance from the beginning, providing training on how to use the dedicated elevators for people with disabilities to their 10,000 airport employees. The airline aims to go beyond being just a Canadian airline and extend its efforts to bridge the gaps in the law.

Craig Landry, COO of AirCanada, stated that the airline receives over 700,000 requests for assistance from passengers with disabilities annually, which is equivalent to nearly two thousand customers per day. This statistic emphasizes the need for more reliable services and improved accessibility for individuals with disabilities.

David Lepofsky, a disability rights researcher at the Western Law School, expressed his fear of flying with AirCanada due to the uncertain ground assistance they provide. He said, "The inconsistency and poor quality of the ground assistance they receive is terrifying. The problem is that we have airlines that systematically fail to respect the laws regarding people with disabilities and comply with them, and law enforcers also fail to address the barriers faced by the 2.2 million people who used the federally regulated transportation system in 2019 and 2020."

The new Managing Director of Accessibility at AirCanada, Crian Wilson, emphasized that the airline will make further efforts to locate and provide electric wheelchairs and other mobility aids stored in the cargo hold. He stated, "Their mobility aids, which we know are not luggage but an extension of their bodies, are an essential part of their ability to have independence." This message comes after several incidents involving passengers with disabilities, including the issues raised by the Chief Commissioner of Disabilities Canada and a passenger flying from Las Vegas, have summoned the airline.

Please note that the above translation is provided for informational purposes and may not be an exact representation of the original text.

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