Transport Minister Omar Alghabra will update a transport committee on progress on areas such as recruitment, a spokesman said following recent passenger complaints about lost luggage and long queues.

Airlines in the United States and Canada are grounding thousands of flights to reduce disruption at peak times.

Canada’s busiest airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport, had the most flight delays in the world, according to FlightAware data earlier this summer.

Although baggage handling and average passenger wait times have improved in recent weeks, governments of both countries are facing calls to improve passenger protection.

“Increased passenger numbers and labor shortages due to the pandemic are the main causes of these delays,” Alghabra’s spokesman said ahead of the hearing on airport delays and cancellations.

The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA), an independent, quasi-judicial tribunal that provides consumer protection for air passengers, said it received a record 18,200 complaints at the end of July 2022, mostly related to air travel.

Under Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations, travelers are entitled to compensation for flight cancellations and delays of 3 hours or more when the disruption is within the airline’s control and is not related to safety.

Canadian media reported that passengers were denied compensation due to safety concerns. Consumer advocates say some of these cancellations are related to staff shortages.

The National Airlines Council of Canada (NAC), a trade group representing Canada’s largest airlines, said compensation varies on a case-by-case basis and the system must “allow airlines to make decisions based on safety without being penalized.” “.

Beginning September 8, new Canadian regulations require airlines to offer passengers either a refund or a rebooking in the event of a flight disruption beyond their control.