Air Canada has agreed to offer refunds to customers for flights that were postponed or cancelled during the pandemic, Unifor President Jerry Dias told the Toronto Star Wednesday.
The newspaper was not able to confirm the claim as neither the airline or the government would comment on ongoing negotiations for a potential bailout for the country’s air carriers. Pandemic refunds is one of the conditions Ottawa has imposed on airlines if they want relief money.
Dias said he’s heard from both Air Canada and government officials working in the negotiations that refunds will happen.
“The precondition for receiving a federal aid package is that Air Canada and the other airlines will have to repay customers. I know that Air Canada has absolutely agreed to do that,” Dias told the Star.
Dias said that the two sides are very close to an agreement.
“Based on the conversations I’ve had with the government and industry, I had already expected an announcement by now,” he said.
An Air Canada spokesperson was not able to confirm the Star report for Open Jaw, but only said “discussions are continuing.”
Former President and CEO Calin Rovinescu has previously said the airline would readily refund any customers holding unused tickets as part of an aid package from the government if the terms are “appropriate and reasonable.”
Air Canada has already refunded more than $1.2 billion during the pandemic, but has not yet provided refunds for non-refundable tickets.
