Canadians might be soon waiting longer to have their air travel complaints heard
CBC
The federal government is currently weighing whether to renew funding meant to address a massive backlog of airline passenger complaints — funding that if not extended could result in Canadians having to wait longer to have their cases heard.
The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) — a quasi-judicial tribunal and regulator tasked with settling disputes between airlines and customers — has been dealing with a backlog of air passenger complaints since the air passenger bill of rights was introduced in 2019.
Those regulations require an airline to compensate passengers when a flight is delayed or cancelled for a reason that is within the airline's control. Passengers who feel they've been unfairly denied compensation can bring their cases to the CTA.
In 2023, the federal government earmarked nearly $76 million for the CTA to clear the backlog, but that temporary funding is set to expire this year.
The backlog of complaints has more than doubled since the government set that money aside.
On the day the funding was announced, the backlog was estimated to be 42,000 complaints. The CTA told CBC News that it now sits at roughly 95,000 complaints.
For its part, the agency says the ballooning backlog is largely due to an increase in complaints — and it argues it has become more efficient since a new system was put in place in 2023.
"The CTA is currently trending towards its fourth straight year receiving over 40,000 complaints, and in January 2026, it received its highest ever monthly total of complaints at 5,685," a CTA spokesperson said in an email.
Data from the agency's annual report indicates it has gone from processing roughly 15,000 complaints (or fewer) per year to settling more than 30,000 in the 2024-25 fiscal year.
When reached for comment, a spokesperson for Transport Minister Steven Mackinnon didn't say one way or another if the funds would be renewed.
"We are aware of the concerns related to delays and the backlog of complaints. Our government continues to review the resources required to support the work of federal agencies and to respond to the needs of Canadians and passengers across the country," the spokesperson said in an email.
The current funding decision is being weighed at a time when the Liberals are looking to trim costs government-wide.
But Ian Jack, a spokesperson for the Canadian Automobile Association, said "anything that takes away resources from processing this enormous backlog is of concern."
"These are Canadians who followed the government's own rules and in good faith filed a complaint with the regulator. They deserve to be heard and to have that complaint processed and they deserve to have that happen within a reasonable amount of time," Jack, whose association offers travel services including flight bookings, told CBC News.
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