Ottawa airport cuts ties with Sunwing, Flair ground crews
Ongoing problems reached boiling point in the last week, says airport authority
The Ottawa International Airport Authority (OIAA) says ground services for Sunwing and Flair have become so bad that it's ending its deal with the company the two airlines contract.
In a news release Wednesday, the authority said ground handling for the two airlines had become worse in recent weeks and "reached untenable levels in the past week" — which overlaps with the busy Quebec and Ontario March breaks.
Both airlines contract international airport services provider Menzies for ground marshalling and baggage handling, the authority said.
The airport authority said it gave Menzies 30 days notice on Monday that it would be terminating its licence at the airport.
"The service levels passengers from both airlines have had to endure do not meet the customer experience threshold the OIAA is committed to facilitate," the authority wrote.
"We will continue to work with the airlines to ensure that their passengers enjoy smooth, efficient travel when flying to and from the Ottawa International Airport."
The authority said in a followup email that it's up to the airlines to find a new subcontractor.
Flair said in an email that this won't affect its operations and it will keep flying from Ottawa.
CBC/Radio-Canada has reached out to Menzies and Sunwing for comment.
With files from Radio-Canada's Patrick Foucault
