Well, at this writing, Air Canada has submitted a response to the complaints, and the CTA is in the process of reviewing all the materials. The CTA has until September 26 to decide whether it will allow Air Canada to continue charging the special firearms handling fee, or rule that it was unfairly discriminatory.
The outcome is impossible to predict, but Dale Drown, General Manager of the Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia (GOABC), is cautiously optimistic. Drown was one of the most effective respondents to this crisis, and we think the hunting community owes him a debt of gratitude. At a minimum, he believes the CTA will direct Air Canada to reduce its gun-handling fee.
As a decision is awaited, it is worth noting that seven new organizations and individuals have filed complaints against Air Canada. They are said to be similar, if not identical, to those already on file. The new complaints will be handled in a separate case in order not to delay the current one under review. How the agency resolves the current complaints will most likely set the tone for how it resolves those more recently filed.
Rest assured, as soon as we hear anything new on this matter, we'll issue an E-mail Extra bulletin and post what we know on our web site, www.huntingreport.com. Stay tuned.
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