加拿大航空旅客保护立法的新发展与启示

New Developments and Implications of Canada’s AirPassenger Protection Regulations

为建立高标准的航空旅客保护机制,加拿大《航空旅客保护条例》从沟通、航班延误、航班取消、航班拒载、停机坪延误等方面为承运人设定了严格义务,并通过设定给予旅客待遇标准和最低赔偿标准来确保旅客获得明确、一致的权利保护。《航空旅客保护条例》对承运人义务类别的精细设定体现出强化旅客权益保护的立法趋势,然而,对国际航班延误的索赔规定涉嫌违反1999年《蒙特利尔公约》的排他适用性。中国航空旅客权益保护立法应批判地借鉴《航空旅客保护条例》的经验,一方面,应避免对国际航班适用航班延误赔偿责任违反1999年《蒙特利尔公约》;另一方面,可以通过完善承运人的告知义务、细化免责事由、明确国内航班延误情形下的赔偿责任等措施来提高航空旅客的权益保护水平。

To establish a high-level air passenger protection system,Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations(APPR)set strict obligations for carriers with respect to clear communication,flights delays,flights cancellations,denied boarding and tarmac delays,etc.These regulations intend to ensure that air passengers can receive clear and consistent protection of their rights by establishing standards of passenger treatment,and minimum compensations that carriers should provide to the passengers.The elaboration of the categories of carrier obligations in the APPR reflects the legislative trend of strengthening the protection of passengers’rights and interests.However,the provisions on claims for international flight delays are suspected of contradicting with the exclusive application of the Montreal Convention 1999.China’s legislation on the protection of air passengers’rights and interests should draw critically on the experience of the APPR.On the one hand,it should avoid violating the Montreal Convention 1999 when imposing compensation liability on carriers in case of international flight delays.On the other hand,it can raise the level of air passenger protection by enhancing the carriers’obligations to communicate,specifying the grounds for exemption,and clarifying the liability for compensations in case of domestic flight delays.