Hours-long wait on airport tarmac probed
The Canada Transportation Agency has launched an inquiry into two why passengers were forced to spend hours on two Air Transat jets parked on the Ottawa International Airport tarmac on Monday after they were diverted to the national capital from Montreal.
The two, one from Rome and the other from Brussels, were among 20 planes diverted to the Ottawa MacDonald-Cartier airport due to severe weather. Having crossed the Atlantic, the Air Transat passengers were stuck aboard the parked planes for up to an additional six hours.
Around 9 p.m., several frustrated passengers on the Brussels flight called 911. Ottawa paramedics, police and airport emergency services responded. One passenger was treated on the plane, and passengers were given bottled water, according to a news release issued by the airport.
The airline said the jet’s air conditioning had shut down when the plane ran out of fuel.
The airport also said it was in contact with Air Transat’s local ground handler and had a gate, air stairs and buses available to shuttle passengers from the tarmac to the terminal.
“Neither the ground handling service nor the airline requested either of these during the event,” said the release. “Although our staff tried several times to contact the aircrew through the handlers to provide further assistance, the aircrew was non-communicative and did not take us up on our offers to assist further.”
Air Transat marketing director Debbie Cabana said in an email on Wednesday that the airport’s version of events was not consistent with the airline’s. The airline had said earlier that the airport could not provide air stairs or a gate so that passengers could disembark.
“We will continue our investigation and come back with the facts as soon as possible,” Cabana said in the email. “In any case, our passengers experienced genuine discomfort for which we are sincerely sorry.”
The transportation agency launched the inquiry after passengers came forward to complain about their treatment.
“This inquiry will determine, based on the evidence and the law, whether the treatment of passengers on the two flights was in line with the airline’s obligations — and if not, what corrective measures should be ordered. We’ll get it done as quickly as possible, but we’ll take the time required to gather all the facts,” said Scott Streiner, the agency’s chair and chief executive.