CUPE uses court ruling to push feds to tighten airline passenger safety rules
OTTAWA — A recent court decision should come as a warning to the federal government to stop playing fast and loose with airline passenger safety rules, says the head of a union that represents thousands of flight attendants in Canada.
In the wake of the ruling last week by the Federal Court of Appeal, the Canadian Union of Public Employees is urging the Liberal government to change federal rules about the ratio of crew to passengers on planes.
The court disagreed with Transport Canada’s conclusion that there was no impact on passenger or crew safety when it allowed Sunwing Airlines to increase the ratio of passengers to flight attendants on its aircraft.
Under federal rules at the time, flights originating in Canada were required to have one attendant for every 40 passengers, unless the transport minister granted an exemption.