WestJet CEO Alexis von Hohensbroek on Thursday apologized for the airline’s failure to accommodate people with disabilities and said she wanted to improve travel accessibility.
“We sincerely apologize to our customers for not providing a satisfactory travel experience, and we will continue to do better,” von Hohensbroch said during a House Transportation Committee hearing on accessible transportation. I will do my best to do so.”
More than 99.9 percent of the company’s more than 260,000 customers who needed support last year — about 700 each day, the majority of whom used wheelchairs or mobility aids — had a positive experience, he said. Ta.
“In every case that goes wrong, it’s one too many,” the CEO said.
Several incidents have surfaced at Canadian airlines over the past year.
Ryan LaChance and his caregiver Emma Proulx say Air Canada flight attendants need better training to keep people with disabilities safe.
In August, a B.C. man with spastic cerebral palsy was pulled from an Air Canada plane in Las Vegas. Last fall, former Paralympic athlete Sarah Morris-Probert dragged herself up the stairs of her WestJet plane because her wheelchair prevented her from boarding.
Conservative MP Mark Strahl told von Hohensbroch: “Whenever something like this happens, everyone is always very sorry and will try to do better, but these high-profile incidents continue to affect Canada.” This is causing problems for many airlines.”
“Thoughts and prayers are no longer acceptable.”
Mr. von Hohensbroek highlighted the steps WestJet is taking to improve accessibility. This includes processes for confirming with customers that mobility aids have been loaded into cargo holds, as well as procedures for ensuring that such equipment is properly stored onboard across the network. Both measures will be introduced “soon,” he said.
Advocates say stricter rules and enforcement are needed to reduce accessibility barriers.
Air Canada has apologized to a B.C. man after he was told he had to get to the front of the plane without any help from staff. The airline also admitted to breaching Canada’s Disability Act. Rodney Hodgins hopes this situation will lead to systemic change.
“As a visually impaired passenger, entering Canadian airspace is scary because you never know how well or poorly you will be treated,” said the Ontario Disability Accessibility Law Alliance. attorney David Lepofsky, who serves as chairman, said in a news release Wednesday. Towards stricter regulations and crackdowns by regulatory authorities.
“Every month, the media reports that airlines have lost or destroyed passenger wheelchairs, forced disabled passengers to crawl off planes, or left disabled passengers stranded for hours without necessary assistance at Canadian airports. We are reporting on incidents that are repeating and are unacceptable, such as incidents such as…
“Poor enforcement and inadequate laws”
Gabor Lukacs, head of the Airline Passenger Rights Group, said the current regulations codify important principles but do not clearly define the economic consequences of non-compliance.
“The culprit is a persistent problem of inadequate enforcement and inadequate legislation,” he told the committee.
Fines against major airlines for disability violations can exceed $100,000. “But if there is no media attention, the fine is insignificant,” Lukacs said.
Transport Canada last week fined Air Transat $11,000 for failing to promptly provide a suitable replacement for a passenger’s mobility aid that was lost upon arrival in Venice. Airline owner Transat AT earned $3 billion in revenue last year.
The agency’s enforcement team tracks complaints to look for patterns of violations and is considering imposing fines if it deems the problem to be “systematic,” said Tom, director of analysis and support at the agency. Oommen said in an interview last month.
Lukacs also called for the government to be required to track and publish statistics on disability-related complaints and mishandling of mobility aids, similar to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
