Exit or Sortie? Air Canada ordered to pay 6-figure fine for violating couple’s ‘language rights’
Team Udayavani, Aug 31, 2019, 10:58 AM IST
Montreal: A judge has ordered Air Canada to pay a six-figure fine to a French-speaking couple who claim the airline “violated their linguistic rights,” breaching the country’s bilingualism laws.
The federal court in Ottawa found in favor of Michel and Lynda Thibodeau, an Ontario couple who filed 22 complaints in 2016, with 14 still outstanding.
In a judgment entered Tuesday, Judge Martine St-Louis granted them CAD 21,000 ($15,800) — CAD 1,500 per complaint — and ordered the airline to send the couple a formal letter of apology.
“Air Canada has not upheld its linguistic obligations,” said the judge, pointing out that the Canadian constitution requires equal weight be given to English and French — the country’s two official languages — in certain situations.
The Thibodeaus said that some signs on their domestic flight, such as “exit”, were only in English or with French text that was much smaller, suggesting an imbalance in importance between the two languages.
They also noted that instructions printed on the seat-belt buckles only said “lift” in English.
The couple were particularly upset by the boarding announcement for the Montreal-bound flight. The English version of the speech lasted 15 seconds and, according to them, was much more thorough than the five-second French announcement.
In an interview with the CBC, Michel Thibodeau said he was satisfied with the outcome and hoped the instructions on Air Canada flights would start appearing in both languages “within a few months.” Air Canada told the court it hoped to develop within six months a “work plan” for replacing the signs.
This is not the first time the Thibodeaus have raised this issue. In 2014, they were dismissed by the Supreme Court after demanding compensation for an alleged violation of their linguistic rights on an international flight.
Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.
Top News
Related Articles More
Indian-origin man shot, killed by San Antonio police amid attempts to apprehend him
2 Indian restaurants in Colorado duped investors of USD 380K: Officials
WATCH: 5 runaway military horses cause mayhem in London
Don’t blame Dubai’s freak rain on cloud seeding
Who would lead if US stepped off world stage? asks Biden
MUST WATCH
Latest Additions
Karnataka sees over 22% voter turnout in 14 Lok Sabha seats by 11 AM
7 intermediate students die by suicide after announcement of results in Telangana
7 intermediate students die by suicide after announcement of results in Telangana
2 Army personnel Injured, 2 terrorists neutralized in Baramulla gunfight
BJP’s Nadda accuses Congress of politicizing reservations for SCs and OBCs’