Air Canada faces a $97,000 fine following an incident where a British Columbia man was compelled to independently disembark from a flight.
Air Canada is facing a $97,500 penalty from the Canadian Transportation Agency following an incident where a British Columbia man with cerebral palsy, Rodney Hodgins, had to independently disembark from a flight.
The situation arose in August when the airline’s third-party ground assistance personnel were not accessible to assist Hodgins, who relies on a motorized wheelchair for mobility. Additionally, there is potential for a lawsuit against the airline in connection to this incident.
“I’ve had a mobility issue all my life, so this has been going on for a long time,” Hodgins said. “Finally I just got fed up and said, that’s it, I’m gonna say something.”
Air Canada has incurred a penalty for multiple breaches of the Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations.
The airline had previously offered an apology to the couple and admitted in November to violating Canadian disability regulations. In a statement released on Friday, Air Canada affirmed its ongoing efforts to address the situation.
Despite the penalty, Rodney Hodgins and his wife, who were together during the incident while celebrating their anniversary, will not receive any compensation. Instead, the couple is contemplating legal action against Air Canada.
Air Canada has announced the engagement of a new third-party service provider to assist customers with disabilities in Las Vegas. The transition to the new provider is scheduled to take place in the upcoming year.
