Air Canada faces certified class-action lawsuit over mobility aid assistance

The B.C. Supreme Court has certified a class-action lawsuit against Air Canada on behalf of passengers who use wheelchairs or other mobility aids. The lawsuit covers passengers who traveled with the airline between January 2021 and June 2023 and required assistance with seating, steps, or moving to and from aircraft.

Lead plaintiff Rodney Hodgins, who has spastic cerebral palsy, alleges that Air Canada failed to meet its contractual obligations to assist passengers safely and with dignity. Hodgins claims he was forced to ‘physically drag himself’ down an aircraft aisle in 2023 after staff failed to provide assistance. The lawsuit alleges a ‘systemic’ issue within the airline, describing a ‘culture of apathy and indifference’ toward passengers requiring mobility-related support.

Air Canada argued that the claims should be handled by the Canadian Transportation Agency, but the judge ruled that the agency’s processes would deny the class members ‘substantive access to justice’ and the specific remedies they are seeking.