SkyGreece requests more time from CTA

A call for an expedited handling of a complaint lodged against SkyGreece Airlines has been rejected by the airline, citing the complexity and time required to make a proper response.

The airline’s response was filed with the Canadian Transportation Agency yesterday afternoon by lawyer Max Starnino (who stated in the response that his law firm is “in the process of being retained as Canadian counsel” for SkyGreece), after the CTA gave SkyGreece a deadline of 5 p.m. on Aug. 31 to respond to the complaint, made last week on behalf of the airline’s stranded travellers by passenger rights advocate Gabor Lukacs.

In part, the response reads:

“Contrary to the Applicant's submissions, a substantive response to the issues raised in the application is complex and will be a time-consuming process, particularly given the context of Greece's broader economic crisis, the impact of that crisis on SkyGreece's operations, and the voluminous request for information reflected in the Applicant's letter of today. No safety concerns have been alleged, and there is no compelling argument in favour of an expedited process. In particular, the Applicant provides no evidentiary support for his allegation that SkyGreece will deal with its assets in a manner that is unfairly prejudicial to its stakeholders, including passengers. In point of fact, SkyGreece is committed to resolving its current operational difficulties in a manner that is consistent with all applicable laws.”

The response also states that “SkyGreece is in the process of consulting with its stakeholders with a view to restructuring its business and operations in a way that will most benefit passengers and other stakeholders.”

Lukacs, who has since drafted a reply to the airline, told PAX that he was “outraged” by SkyGreece’s response to his request for an expedited handling of his complaint by the CTA.

“I find it scandalous to tell people that there’s no compelling reason to expedite the process – I’m finding it extremely repulsive and disturbing,” he said, adding that he has also requested information clarifying the airline’s corporate structure and finances. “It’s the most obvious, human thing to realize that being stranded is an extremely horrible and stressful experience, and these people should be allowed to go home as quickly as possible and ideally, not incur thousands of dollars in order to get the service they paid for.”

In an interview with The Canadian Press, SkyGreece majority owner Ken Stathakis apologized for the stranding of thousands of passengers in Canada and Europe after the airline announced it was temporarily ceasing all operations last week.

The CTA is yet to make an announcement on how the complaint will now be handled.