OTTAWA- Air Canada (AC) has been ordered to pay US$3,100 or CA$4,100 in damages to a Venezuelan woman after her family’s Canadian visas were abruptly canceled, leaving them stranded in Panama City for 33 days.
The incident occurred in 2017 when Paula Mejias and her three children were en route to Toronto (YYZ) to visit the children’s father, an international student, when their valid travel documents were marked “CANCELLED CBSA” by an Air Canada check-in supervisor at Tocumen International Airport (PTY).
Air Canada Fined by Court
The Federal Court of Canada on Friday, April 11, 2025, ruled that Air Canada overstepped its authority when it initiated a chain of events leading to visa cancellations.
Justice John C. Cotter’s 60-page decision reviewed by Toronto Star noted that Mejias and her children possessed all required valid travel documents when they presented themselves at the Air Canada check-in counter, determining that the airline—not the Canadian government—was liable for the family’s ordeal.
At the heart of the case was Air Canada check-in supervisor Arlin Corrales, whose testimony was found unreliable by the court on multiple counts.
Corrales claimed the family had been flagged with a “no board” alert, but the court determined that Mejias’ visa information was never properly entered into Air Canada’s system.
Instead, Corrales contacted Canadian authorities based on personal concerns that the family might overstay their authorized period in Canada.
Visa Restoration and Implications for Airlines
Senior Canadian embassy official Kent Francis, who initially canceled the visas based on information from Air Canada, later restored them after learning through Mejias’ lawyer that her husband was applying for a post-graduation work permit to extend his stay in Canada.
Francis testified that normal procedure would have involved the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) engaging directly with the visa holders, which never occurred in this case.
The court’s ruling establishes an important precedent regarding the limits of airline authority in immigration matters.
Now a Canadian permanent resident, Mejias stated that the judgment “recognizes that airlines should not meddle with immigration-related matters” and clarifies that an airline’s role should be limited to verifying that passenger documents are valid at the time they are presented.
Air Canada has called the ruling “troubling,” arguing that carriers are legally obligated to deny boarding to passengers without proper documentation and can face penalties for non-compliance.
In a statement to Toronto Star, the airline expressed concern that “this ruling creates great uncertainty for all airlines about their obligations under Canada’s immigration laws.”
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