‘Congratulations and well done’
Air Passenger rights advocate speaks out on Sydney woman’s recent plight on Air Canada flight
A prominent Canadian air passenger rights advocate says he’s pleased Air Canada has stepped up to address the concerns of a Sydney woman with disabilities.
“That shows the strength of the media for those causes,” said Gábor Lukács, who spearheaded and is co-ordinator of Air Passenger Rights.
On Oct.
4, Marcie Schwery-Stanley of Sydney, who has mobile disabilities, took an Air Canada jet from Sydney to Toronto and was distraught after being carried onto the aircraft on a Washington chair an experience she described as “scary and demeaning.”
Schwery-Stanley was contacted by Air Canada staff this week and said they apologized and told her the season for the large jet with Sydney service ends this week. They also made a commitment to her they’d acquire a ramp for the large jet when it’s back in service in the spring.
Lukacs said he’d be happier if Air Canada puts their commitment in writing.
“Certainly, if they will live up to this, it is wonderful. What this shows is a change in the way Air Canada is stepping up and reacting to those complaints.”
Lukacs said this is the kind of response we should expect from Canadian airlines.
“I don’t want to embarrass airlines, I don’t want to punish airlines, I want to see things put in perspective in these situations,” he said.
“This is the kind of collaborative approach that is needed in the context of travel passengers and especially passengers with disabilities, he said. “If Air Canada is willing to take those steps and If they carry through with this I will say ‘congratulations and well done.’”
Then to hear of the Toronto woman’s mother whose chair was slightly dropped while boarding the same jet, brings concerns, he said.
“Under normal circumstances there should be a more dignified way of doing it.”
Although neither of these incidents should have happened, Lukacs said he’s not rushing to condemn the airline either. One thing that has to be understood is that at the Sydney airport there are no bridges to allow people direct access from the airport onto the plane, he said.
“If an airport has no facility it can’t be expected to build it at the airport.”
Lukacs feels it’s a combined problem between the airline, airport and the government.
Lukacs said if he was the passenger he’d file a complaint with Transport Canada, which deals with such matters, and let them sort out who’s at fault.
“I’m not putting all the blame on Air Canada here or even the airport, as who can afford to build onto the facilities — but there should be solutions here,” he said.
Lukacs said a long-term solution might be government grants to provide one of those bridges to the airport or a type of device where a person can be wheeled out to the aircraft and then another device would lift them up to the plane.
“Something more dignified. I don’t know the solution but know there must be solutions there and something has to be done about it.”
Since 2008 Lukacs has filed more than two dozen successful complaints with the Canadian Transportation Agency challenging the terms, conditions, and practices of air carriers, resulting in orders directing them to amend their conditions of carriage and offer better protection to passengers.
The APR is also heavily involved with Bill C-81, which relates to barriers for people with disabilities and is currently before the House of Commons. Although Lukacs said they welcome the bill they have areas of concern, including the appearance of a conflict between Bill C-81 and the Carriage By Air Act, the silence on air travel for people with mobility aids and service animals, exclusion of a judicial review for cases and the weakening of enforcement when it comes to transportation violation of the act that are dealt with warnings instead of action.