Ottawa says private contractor can clear 97,000 air-passenger complaint backlog faster, but won’t say how long it would take

The Senate Transport and Communications Committee has raised concerns that choosing a private firm could create further delays, while Transport Canada has not provided a contract cost or released the analysis behind its proposal.
Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon, pictured May 1, 2026, at the Ottawa International Airport where he held a press conference to talk about the Air Travellers Bill of Rights. Transport Canada says moving the complaint backlog to a private provider should add no delays for passengers, but it has not provided dates for choosing a provider.

A Senate committee is raising questions about Ottawa’s plan to transfer nearly 100,000 unresolved air-passenger complaints to a private firm, expressing concern the process of selecting a provider could lead to further delays in reaching decisions.

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