Despite the decrease in the number of complaints filed against Air Canada regarding language-related issues, the airline continues to receive more language complaints nationally than any other institution, says Official Languages Commissioner Raymond Theberge.

In his annual report, presented on Tuesday morning, Theberge's office stated that it received 847 valid complaints during the 2023-2024 year - less than half the number received in the previous year. Among these complaints, 15 percent - 130 complaints - were related to Air Canada.

Theberge stated, "This year, there was a decrease in the number of complaints related to Air Canada from 276 to 130 complaints; however, Air Canada remains the institution that receives the most complaints overall annually."

He added, "The number received this year represents a historical average more than it has in the past, and I believe it still indicates that there are challenges regarding Air Canada's ability to meet its language commitments."

Air Canada spokesperson Christopher Heinebill said the company noted the commissioner's report.

Heinebill clarified, "The number of complaints we have received has decreased by more than half since last year, while the number of passengers we transported has significantly increased, from 37 to 46 million. This is a significant improvement," adding that the official languages action plan is in progress and should be released later this year.

Heinebill also noted that among the institutions subject to the Official Languages Act, Air Canada has the highest number of interactions with the public.

Decrease in complaints nationally

Theberge mentioned that the number of complaints submitted during the 2023-2024 period "contrasts somewhat with the very large quantities of complaints" submitted in previous years.

He stated that he was unable to determine whether this decrease is a result of federal institutions adhering more closely to the Official Languages Act, or whether this trend will continue.

Theberge pointed out that significant events often impact the number of incoming complaints in a given year. He cited an example from two years ago when the CEO of Air Canada delivered a speech exclusively in English, resulting in over 2,000 complaints being filed.

He said, "What typically happens is that once an incident attracts this kind of attention, Canadians become fully aware of their language rights, and during those times they tend to file more complaints. This year, we did not have that kind of incident."